WALES

Departmental Retirement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of his Department's staff retired on the grounds of stress-related illness in each of the last three years.

Paul Murphy: None.

NORTHERN IRELAND

IRA

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the threat from dissident IRA activists.

Shaun Woodward: The recent decision by the Chief Constable to alert the public to an increased risk of dissident republican activity demonstrates that a small number of individuals continue to live in the past.
	The PSNI works tirelessly to thwart the activities of those involved in criminal activity and to bring them to justice for their crimes. I have every confidence in the PSNI's ability to combat the threat they pose.

Real IRA

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the activities of Real IRA.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for South Antrim (Dr. McCrea).

Witness Intimidation

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the incidence of witness intimidation in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Witness intimidation, whatever form it takes, is entirely unacceptable. There were 69 recorded offences related to witness intimidation in 2006-07—a 26 per cent. fall on the previous year.

Drug Smuggling

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of levels of drug smuggling in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: While Northern Ireland has the lowest rates of drugs misuse in the UK, we are not complacent and the Organised Crime Task Force, which I chair, will continue to tackle head on those who smuggle and deal in drugs.

Fuel Laundering

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will consider bringing forward measures to introduce an offence of fuel laundering.

Paul Goggins: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has responsibility for legislation relating to revenue offences.
	We are working closely with HMRC in considering the creation of an absolute offence for fuel laundering to increase the powers available in tackling this crime.

Security

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Bracknell (Mr. Mackay).

Crime Detection

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on crime detection rates in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Police Service of Northern Ireland continue to improve its detection of crime through intelligence led, community based policing. The detection rate in Northern Ireland for 2006-07 is 23.6 per cent.—just above that for England and Wales.

On-the-runs

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Government policy is on "on-the-runs"; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Government's policy on "on-the-runs" remains unchanged. We recognise the anomalous position of individuals who are still "on the run" for offences committed before the Belfast Agreement. This anomaly still needs to be addressed.
	But, as my right hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) made clear when he withdrew the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill two years ago, this issue is one that needs to be considered in the broader context of how we deal with the legacy of past.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of his Department's personal digital assistants have been  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each of the last five years; and what the value of those items was.

Shaun Woodward: One personal digital assistant has been stolen in the last five years; a blackberry stolen in 2005 valued at £200.

Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to strengthen ties between Northern Ireland and the rest of Great Britain.

Shaun Woodward: The constitutional position of Northern Ireland is set out in the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
	Following the Belfast Agreement the British-Irish Council was established to promote positive, practical relationships among its Members: the British and Irish Governments, the devolved Administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The British-Irish Council offers a forum for members to discuss, consult and reach agreement on co-operation on matters of mutual interest within the competence of the relevant Administrations.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Development: Business

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the budget is for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) each of the next four years of the local enterprise growth initiative.

John Healey: The budget for LEGI is £105 million for 2007-08, £105 million for 2008-09, £100 million for 2009-10 and £95 million for 2010-11. A decision on any funding beyond 2010-11 will be made as part of the next spending round. LEGI funding is now paid mainly through area based grant, plus additional capital sums, and settlements for each LEGI area have been published on the DCLG website.

Consent to Medical Treatment: Mentally Ill

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on the circumstances under which social services may have intimate medical examinations performed on those with mental incapacities without the consent of guardians ad litem; under what authority such examinations are performed; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 18 February 2008
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, South (Mr. Lewis) on 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 284-85W.

Social Housing: North-east

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government have taken to improve social housing in the north-east.

Iain Wright: Since 2003, the Government have been working with all local authorities to implement the Decent Homes programme. This is being done in conjunction with new arrangements for housing management through the Options Appraisal process. The initial target was that all council homes should be improved to an agreed standard by 2010, although in some local circumstances later dates have been agreed.
	In the north-east region some authorities have retained their housing stock, while others have chosen to manage their stock through arms length management organisations (ALMO) or have transferred their stock to registered social landlords as part of the large scale voluntary transfer (LSVT) arrangements.
	Progress towards achieving the Decent Homes standard in the north-east region among those authorities still owning properties (either Retention or ALMO) is as set out below. For LSVT authorities who have transferred their stock, the situation is that progress to the Decent Homes standard is an integral part of their business planning process and all RSLs in the north-east indicate that they are on target to achieve the Decent Homes standard by 2010.
	Recent publication of the 'New Performance Framework for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnership' presents a set of national indicators for use in the current local area agreement (LAA) negotiations. One of these potential indicators, NI158, usefully refers to the 'percentage of decent council homes'.
	
		
			 LA  Total LA stock  Non-decent at 1 April 2006  Non-decent at 1 April 2007  Percentage non-decent at 1 April 2007  Target for 2007 
			 Alnwick 1,771 2 0 0 0 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 1,933 77 77 3.9 34 
			 Blyth Valley 6,799 1,585 165 2.4 0 
			 Castle Morpeth 2,306 1,688 1,688 73.2 1,500 
			 Chester-le-Street 4,331 2,077 2,010 46.4 428 
			 Darlington 5,527 0 0 0 0 
			 Durham 6,208 3,848 2,139 34.4 3,080 
			 Easington 8,979 7,506 8,004 89.1 6,691 
			 Gateshead 21,840 8,007 5,380 24.6 5,324 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 30,475 28,655 26,683 87.5 26,887 
			 North Tyneside 15,952 9,392 8,614 53.9 8,350 
			 Sedgefield 8,647 3,721 3,297 38.1 8,803 
			 South Tyneside 18,595 14,093 11,183 60.1 8,450 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 11,108 4,073 2,642 23.7 3,251 
			 Wansbeck 5,430 2,263 2,731 50.2 2,213 
			 Wear Valley 4,406 1,696 1,334 30.2 660

Housing: Prices

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities had 15 percentile housing prices that were less than 70 per cent. of the national level at the most recent date for which figures are available.

John Healey: Based on HM Land Registry house price data for April to June 2007, there were 20 local authorities that had 15 percentile house prices that were less than 70 per cent. of the national level.

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role her Department and its agencies have in relation to supervising the actions of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

John Healey: The Secretary of State has several statutory powers in relation to Lee Valley Regional Park Authority which are set out in the Lee Valley Regional Park Act 1966 (as amended). These include a power to amend the authority's constitution by order. The Secretary of State's consent is also required if the authority wishes to sell, exchange or let either land which is open space or any land for a price below best consideration.

M61: Noise

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what basis the Valuation Office Agency decided to contest the council tax valuation decision made by Manchester North Valuation Tribunal in relation to traffic noise on the M61.

John Healey: This decision was based on the opinion that the Valuation Tribunal had made an error in law, which would prejudice the bandings of other properties.

Minerals and Waste Development Documents

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who the statutory consultees are for the minerals and waste development documents submitted to her Department.

Iain Wright: There are no "statutory consultees" for development plan documents. Paragraph 2(a) of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004 only refers to "specific consultation bodies". This distinction gives mineral planning authorities the flexibility to decide which of the consultation bodies listed would have an interest in the contents of a plan, and consult only them.
	The specific consultation bodies listed in paragraph 2(a) of the regulations, (which will also apply to any of them which have subsequently changed the names of their organisations) are:
	"(a) in relation to a local planning authority whose area is in a region other than London, means the regional planning body and the bodies specified or described in sub-paragraphs (i) to (x);
	(i) the Countryside Agency
	(ii) the Environment Agency
	(iii) the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England
	(iv) English Nature
	(v) The Strategic Rail Authority
	(vi) The Highways Agency
	(vii) A relevant authority any part of whose area is in or adjoins the area of the local planning authority
	(viii) A Regional Development Agency, whose area is in or adjoins the area of the local planning authority
	(ix) Any person -
	(a) to whom the electronic communications code applies by virtue of a direction given under section 106(3) of the Communications Act 2003,
	and
	(b) who owns or controls electronic communications apparatus situated in any part of the area of the local planning authority,
	(x) if it exercises functions in any part of the local planning authority's area:
	(a) a strategic health authority
	(b) a person to whom a licence has been granted under section 6(1 )(b) or
	(c) of the Electricity Act 1989
	(c) a person to whom a licence has been granted under section 7(2) of the Gas Act 1986
	(d) a sewerage undertaker
	(e) a water undertaker
	(b) if the authority are a London borough council, means the Mayor of London and the bodies specified or described in paragraph (a)(i) to (x)."

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Housing

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of  (a) single living and  (b) service family accommodation units (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas there are in each of the four condition grades.

Derek Twigg: All service families accommodation (SFA) and single living accommodation (SLA) is assessed by Grade for Charge (GfC) and most SFA is also assessed by Standard for Condition (SfC). Where SfC is a detailed measure of the physical condition of SFA, GfC is an assessment of both the physical condition of the accommodation and other factors such as location and closeness to amenities.
	Currently, SFA that is measured by SfC is at the following condition:
	
		
			   S1fC  Percentage  S2fC  Percentage  S3fC  Percentage  S4fC  Percentage 
			 United Kingdom 28,103 59 17,741 37 2,105 4 120 0 
			 Overseas 3,808 24 4,482 28 5,319 34 2,221 14 
		
	
	SLA is at the following grade:
	
		
			   Grade 1  Percentage  Grade 2  Percentage  Grade 3  Percentage  Grade 4  Percentage 
			 United Kingdom 34,668 25 17,398 13 23,346 17 62,212 45 
			 Overseas 3,516 13 1,594 6 4,848 17 17,990 64 
		
	
	Over the next decade the MOD will spend over £8 billion on accommodation, including some £3.1 billion on bringing accommodation up to the top condition. This will include the delivery of some 30,000 new or improved SLA bed-spaces by 2013 and 600 upgraded SFA properties this year, 600 next year and 800 each year thereafter.

Armed Forces: Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 608W, on armed forces: influenza, if he will place in the Library a copy of each completed guidance note referred to in his Department's pandemic influenza contingency plan published in December 2007.

Derek Twigg: I have placed copies of the preliminary and prepare stage guidance notes of the MOD framework in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 608W, on armed forces: influenza, when he plans to issue guidance on the development of plans for the recovery of operational capability in the aftermath of a human pandemic, as stated in paragraph 2.15 of his Department's pandemic influenza contingency plan, published in December 2007.

Derek Twigg: The generic MOD pandemic flu framework brings together activities which for the most part will be undertaken by Defence business units and operational commands so that they can put in place the necessary response arrangements before a pandemic emerges. The guidance notes being prepared to support the key tasks identified in the framework consist of one-page summaries to assist them. As the framework is a live document, whose development remains ongoing, all the guidance being developed is subject to regular review and amendment.
	At the strategic level we are confident that in its current form the framework we have developed covers the key areas we need to address in the event of a pandemic. At present work on the guidance note "Recovery of operational capability in the aftermath of a pandemic" (along with other guidance notes) remains ongoing. We hope to complete this in the next few months.

Armed Forces: Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 608W, on armed forces: influenza, by what mechanism medical treatments will be prioritised in the event of an influenza pandemic as stated in paragraph 2.8 of his Department's pandemic influenza contingency plan, published in December 2007.

Derek Twigg: MOD policy on the prioritisation of medical treatment in the event of a flu pandemic is to refer to the authoritative Department of Health guidelines (based on clinical need) and comprehensive information and guidelines to this effect have been issued by the Surgeon General to the Defence Medical Services.

Armed Forces: Medical Records

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average time was for a person's medical records to be transferred to the NHS following a medical discharge from the armed forces in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: This information is not held.

Armed Forces: Training

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how military training schedules will be adapted to allow for athletes hosted there to use the facilities.

Derek Twigg: The number of personnel that the British Olympic Association has proposed will use the facilities at Aldershot are expected to be accommodated without disruption to military activities. Military requirements for use of training facilities will take priority.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether the Mastiff vehicle may be carried in the future A400M aircraft;
	(2)  what weapon systems have been added to the Mastiff vehicle;
	(3)  how the  (a) first and  (b) subsequent Mastiff vehicles were delivered to theatre;
	(4)  what the  (a) cost of the Cougar vehicle ex-USA is before being adapted in the UK to become the Mastiff and  (b) final cost of the Mastiff is in its ready for theatre state.

Bob Ainsworth: Each Mastiff has been fitted with a general purpose machine gun, and either a heavy machine gun or a grenade machine gun.
	All Mastiff vehicles were delivered to theatre by air. Based on the planned technical specifications we have for A400M, it will be able to carry the Mastiff vehicle.
	I am withholding the cost of a Cougar vehicle as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 14 November 2007,  Official Report, column 258W, about the cost of conversion to a Mastiff.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many armoured vehicles of each type are  (a) required and  (b) available for pre-deployment training;
	(2)  how many armoured vehicles of each type are  (a) available to be deployed immediately,  (b) undergoing repair,  (c) undergoing Bowman conversion,  (d) in storage and  (e) being used for training purposes.

Bob Ainsworth: The information is shown in the following table as at January 2008.
	
		
			  Vehicle  PDT requirement  Routine maintenance and under repair  Bowman conversion  Storage  Used for training 
			 CR2 4 19 10 76 226 
			 WR 32 109 28 16 514 
			 CVR (T) 46 306 33 9 775 
			 Saxon 0 18 0 67 18 
			 Mastiff 76 1 0 0 18 
			 Bulldog 17 129 31 0 168 
			 Vector 33 0 0 0 33 
			 Viking 15 12 0 0 20 
		
	
	Sufficient numbers of vehicles are available to meet pre-deployment training (PDT) demands.
	I am withholding the information on the numbers of vehicles available for deployment as its release would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Corporate Hospitality

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place to ensure that invitations to events received by officials in his Department from private companies are assessed using the Gifts, Reward and Hospitality Annex of the Statement of Civilian and Service Personnel Policy.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 7 January 2008
	Officials within the Ministry of Defence are required to record all invitations to events received from private companies, in a hospitality book, whether they are accepted or declined. Members of the senior civil service, service officers in command appointments and those holding staff appointments at or above one star level are required to maintain their own hospitality book. Each management area is required to maintain a hospitality book for the use of more junior officials.
	Hospitality books are to be examined, at regular intervals, (at least once per year), by the appropriate director, head of division or commanding officer. Their hospitality books are in turn, inspected by staff of senior grade/rank, usually their line manager. Hospitality books are additionally subject to audit by Defence Internal Audit and the National Audit Office.

Departmental Assets

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of his Department's monthly defence equipment and support  (a) regular strength reports,  (b) breakdown of military staff by geographic location and  (c) support and supply civilian manpower reduction returns for 2007-08.

Bob Ainsworth: The numbers in the regular strength reports are not rounded. To avoid personal information being disclosed, only fully rounded versions can be released and this could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.
	The reports at  (b) and  (c) have not been produced in 2007-08.

Departmental Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the departmental minute of 15 April 2005 on Manpower Data: A Need for Consistency.

Derek Twigg: I believe the hon. Member is referring to a loose minute issued on behalf of the Second Permanent Under Secretary of State dated 15 April 2005 and entitled "Manpower Data: A Need for Consistency", I will place redacted copies of the loose minute and its annexes in the Library of the House.

Gurkhas: Accommodation

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Sultan of Brunei about the provision of married quarters for Gurkha soldiers based there;
	(2)  what interim financial arrangement he plans to make for Brunei-based Gurkhas who are unable to obtain a suitable married quarter there.

Derek Twigg: One battalion of Gurkhas (about 650 personnel) is permanently stationed in Brunei under the UK/Brunei Defence agreement. The rebuilding of the service families accommodation, single living accommodation and other facilities for the garrison in Brunei has been subject to negotiations within the UK/Brunei Joint Defence Committee. These detailed and constructive negotiations have been refined to take account of the improved Gurkha married accompanied service arrangements for Gurkhas, introduced in 2006, where Gurkhas with more than three years service have the same entitlement to married accompanied service as the rest of the British Army.
	The development project for the garrison is proceeding in two stages, with a rolling programme providing accommodation planned for completion in 2011. The project is being paid for and delivered by the Government of Brunei, whose commitment is greatly appreciated by the UK Government.
	When Gurkhas are subject to involuntary separation from their families, they are entitled to Longer Separation Allowance in accordance with the provisions of the Tri-Service Regulations for Allowances. This applies to those Gurkhas whose families are unable to join them in Brunei while the garrison development project is in progress.

National Army Museum

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will request the National Army Museum (NAM) to give to all of the Regimental and Corps Museums funded by his Department  (a) all reasonable access to and  (b) capacity to copy any record document deposited within NAM that relates to that Regiment or Corps; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the National Army Museum's access policy; what the Museum's systems and procedures are for dealing with  (a) other military, Regimental and Corps museums wholly or partly funded by the Ministry of Defence,  (b) other museums,  (c) historians, researchers, authors and journalists and  (d) members of the public; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I will write to my hon. Friend.

National Army Museum

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funds his Department made available to the National Army Museum in each of the last 10 years; and how much other public funding it received.

Derek Twigg: The grant in aid for the National Army Museum over the last 10 years is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 1997-98 3,491,978 
			 1998-99 3,331,047 
			 1999-2000 4,129,563 
			 2000-01 4,209,171 
			 2001-02 4,771,935 
			 2002-03 4,859,557 
			 2003-04 5,516,730 
			 2004-05 5,242,228 
			 2005-06 4,948,258 
			 2006-07 5,362,148

Navy: Data Protection

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the 600,000 people whose personal data were on the laptop recently stolen from a Royal Navy recruiting officer were  (a) under 18 and  (b) under 18 when they contacted the recruitment service.

Des Browne: holding answer 24 January 2008
	Of the 600,000 people whose personal data were on the laptop stolen from a Royal Navy recruiting officer, 47,537 candidate records, that have a stored date of birth, were aged under 18 on 16 Jan 2008. 167,869 candidate records, that have a stored date of birth and a stored initial contact date, were aged under 18 when the initial contact was made.
	Applicants who are under 18 years of age, or are in care at the time of application, are to obtain the consent of a parent or guardian or person with parental responsibilities before the application can be considered. This consent will be required again on entry if the applicant is still under 18, or in care.

Territorial Army: Finance

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the required saving for the Territorial Army of £2.5 million in each of the next two financial years will be achieved, broken down by activity.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave him on 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1769W, which set out the measures being taken in order to deliver the required £2.5 million funding reduction for the Territorial Army over the course of the current and next financial years. The effect of these measures was to be felt in three broad areas; capability, personnel and activities, including recruiting.
	It was made clear that those TA units identified as not making a significant contribution to current operations would be directed to manage their recruiting so as to prevent their unit size from exceeding agreed levels. This element of the measures will be applied only in financial year 2007-08. I wrote to those hon. Members in whose constituencies the affected TA units are located in August 2007 informing them of this decision. This does not represent a change to TA recruiting policy.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games 2012

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what representations she has received on the accessibility of  (a) the Olympic village and  (b) each Olympic venue.

Tessa Jowell: All the Olympic family are working to ensure the games are fully inclusive and accessible—both at games time and in legacy. Making this happen requires the best advice from accessibility experts and listening to the needs of local people.
	The ODA have a published quality and diversity strategy and are currently working through the design process on the village and venues with preferred developers and contractors (where agreed). LOGOG and the International Paralympic Committee are also fully involved. This process is informed by the ODA's Access and Inclusion Forum and Access Panels (Transport and Built Environment), which includes membership from disability organisations within each of the five boroughs, as well as the borough access officers and key external stakeholders.
	A design and access statement was submitted as part of the planning application in January 2007. This will underpin the design of all games venues. Access statements for each venue are being developed, with reviews conducted by the principal access officer at each building stage and with oversight by the Access Panels. Accessible transport and built environment strategies will also be published later this year.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Drugs

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 967W, on Afghanistan: drugs, if he will place in the Library a copy of the UK-funded review of the Afghan Government's national drugs control strategy and the institutional framework supporting it.

David Miliband: The UK-commissioned review of the Afghan Government's national drugs control strategy was conducted by independent consultants and the results were discussed with the Afghan Government. While some of the recommendations have been agreed and taken forward, we agreed not to pursue others. We do not publish all consultancy reports, and as some of the recommendations have not been taken forward, it would not be appropriate to put a copy of the review in the Library of the House.

Afghanistan: Police

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what research his Department has conducted into police training and readiness in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Improving the capability of the Afghan police is critical to security in Afghanistan. The UK is providing policing assistance to the Afghan Government as a part of our efforts to improve governance and security. Our assistance includes the provision of specialist law enforcement experts based in Afghanistan who are working to improve the quality of the Afghan police through training and mentoring programmes. These individuals are working alongside colleagues in the European Union policing mission to Afghanistan, as well as the US Combined Security and Transition Command—Afghanistan on the development of police training.
	Officials within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) regularly receive information from these experts and organisations and also make use of internationally produced research into Afghan policing. The FCO, however, has not commissioned any specific academic research into police training and readiness in Afghanistan.

Brazil: Human Rights

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to Brazil on the human rights of tribal peoples in Brazil.

Kim Howells: We have made no specific representations. The rights of indigenous people were discussed during a visit I made to Brazil in September 2007, in a meeting with Brazil's Minister for Human Rights.

Departmental Databases

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what databases are  (a) owned and  (b) maintained by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) uses a large number of databases. The most significant of these are managed centrally. These support activities across the organisation, such as the processing of visa applications from foreign nationals, passport issue overseas, consular assistance and financial and personnel administration.
	Many others, where there is no operational need to share data, are locally owned and maintained, either by diplomatic posts overseas or departments in the UK. A survey in 2005 identified more than 1,000 of these, of varying size and complexity, holding over 1 million records supporting the full range of activities undertaken by the FCO worldwide.
	There are two FCO agencies. FCO Services maintains databases to support the operational services provided to the FCO. Wilton Park keeps records relating to the conferences held there. Both also use databases in support of internal administration (such as staff records, financial data and other organisational information).

Departmental Vehicles

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many vehicles were  (a) owned and  (b) purchased by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services home fleet of vehicles currently comprises 35 vehicles. They are all owned by the Department. Purchases for the home fleet in the last two years have been six vehicles per year. This is based upon a one for one replacement programme with an old vehicle being disposed of when the new vehicle arrives.
	We are unable to provide further information on purchases for the home or overseas fleets without incurring disproportionate cost.
	In respect of vehicles provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1008W, by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick).

Departmental Visits Abroad

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many overseas visits by officials in his Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Meg Munn: It would incur disproportionate cost to collate the information requested by the hon. Member as this information is not held centrally in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	The Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. The Government's annual publication about overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers is accessible at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers.aspx
	The list includes details about the number of officials accompanying a Minister when non-scheduled travel is used for the trip. Copies of lists covering information going back to the 1997-98 financial year are also available in the Library of the House.
	All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the 'Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.'

Egypt: Administration of Justice

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with the Government of Egypt over the independence of the judiciary in that country.

Kim Howells: We regularly raise a range of rule of law and human rights issues with the Egyptian Government both bilaterally and with EU partners.
	There are no plans for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to hold discussions on the specific subject of independence of the judiciary with the Egyptian Government. However, we look forward to this being discussed in the context of the political sub-committee established under the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan.

Entry Clearances: Internet

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 435W, on entry clearances: internet, what assessment has been made by UK visas of local needs in Sierra Leone with respect to the take-up of the Visa4UK service.

Kim Howells: The Visa4UK online application service was introduced in Sierra Leone from 1 October 2007, following an assessment of local needs by our high commission in Freetown. This assessment took into account the infrastructure and levels of literacy in Sierra Leone and the benefits to applicants.

Equatorial Guinea: Diplomatic Service

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will establish a permanent salaried diplomatic presence in Equatorial Guinea.

Meg Munn: holding answer 18 February 2008
	The Government have no plans to establish a permanent diplomatic presence in Equatorial Guinea at this point.
	Non-resident diplomatic cover for Equatorial Guinea is provided by our high commissioner to Nigeria, based in Abuja, and his staff. Consular cover is provided by the British deputy high commission in Lagos and there is a British honorary consul resident in Malabo.
	We believe that these arrangements are sufficient to represent UK interests in Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea: Prisoners

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support he has made available to the family of Simon Mann; what counselling services have been made available to Mr. Mann; which Government officials have met Mr. Mann in the last month; where those meetings took place; and what representations the Government has made to the Government of Equatorial Guinea about Mr. Mann in the last two weeks.

Meg Munn: Our consul in Harare last visited Simon Mann in prison there on 22 January.
	Our deputy high commission in Lagos provides consular assistance to British nationals in Equatorial Guinea. Our consul in Lagos visited Mr. Mann in Black Beach prison on 12 February.
	My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, met the Equatorial Guinean ambassador on 7 February and spoke to him on 11 and 12 February. The Equatorial Guinean authorities have given assurances that Mr. Mann will be treated well while in detention. They have also assured us that he will receive a fair trial in accordance with international law and will be free to appoint a lawyer.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been in regular contact with Mr. Mann's family and his lawyers.

Eritrea: UNMEE

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of Eritrean co-operation with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, with particular respect to fuel supplies.

David Miliband: We are dismayed by Eritrea's refusal to resume fuel shipments to the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), or to allow it to import its own fuel. This refusal threatens UNMEE's ability to carry out its mandate. We strongly condemn Eritrea's actions in this regard.
	Eritrea's action is in direct contravention of the demands of the UN Security Council (UNSC), as set out in paragraph seven of UNSC Resolution 1798, adopted unanimously on 30 January 2008, and the UNSC press statement of 4 February 2008. The UK strongly supports the UNSC's demands.
	Our ambassador in Asmara emphasised the UK's condemnation of Eritrea and support for the UNSC's demands to the Eritrean Government on 14 February 2008. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, did the same with the Eritrean ambassador to the UK on 18 February 2008.

European Council: Presidents

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the proposed role of the President of the European Council in representing the EU internationally.

Jim Murphy: Heads of State and Government, supported by Foreign Ministers reached agreement on all the key institutional issues in the Lisbon treaty, including the role of full-time President of the European Council, at the 2007 June European Council.
	The treaty makes clear that
	"The President of the European Council shall, at his or her level and in that capacity, ensure the external representation of the Union on issues concerning its common foreign and security policy, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy."
	The Lisbon treaty sets out in full the full-time President's broad role, but discussions on the detail have not yet started.

European Council: Presidents

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had on the salary, allowances and pension of the President of the European Council under the treaty of Lisbon if ratified.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 19 February 2008
	The Lisbon treaty sets out the role of the President of the European Council. Details on salary and other job related benefits are not set out in the treaty. Discussions on these issues have not yet started.

European External Action Service

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff work in the European Council Secretariat on matters relating to the European external action service; and how many of them are on secondment from  (a) the UK and  (b) other EU member states.

David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold information on the staffing of the European Council Secretariat. The Council Secretariat is responsible for the allocation of its staffing resources.
	There are currently seven secondees from the UK working in various departments at the Council Secretariat. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold details of nationals from other member states currently seconded to the Council Secretariat.

Fair Trade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on the use of fair trade goods  (a) in staff catering facilities and  (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) the then Foreign Secretary (Mr. Straw) gave to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Andrew George) on 13 February 2006,  Official Report, column 1504W. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) policy on the procurement of fair trade produce is to ensure that fair trade produce is available to purchase and the FCO will explore options to expand the variety of fair trade options offered for sale, within the boundaries of good procurement practice—including value for money. Tea and coffee provided for official functions are fair trade.

Gibraltar: Administration of Justice

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the suspension of the Chief Justice of Gibraltar.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 19 February 2008
	The suspension of the Chief Justice is a matter for the Governor of Gibraltar. The Governor, as Her Majesty the Queen's Representative in Gibraltar, acting in accordance with the Constitution of Gibraltar and on the advice of the Gibraltar Judicial Service Commission, has established a tribunal to consider whether the Governor should request that the removal of the Chief Justice from office be referred by Her Majesty the Queen to the Judicial Committee of Her Majesty's Privy Council. Pending the outcome of these proceedings the Governor, again acting in accordance with the advice of the Gibraltar Judicial Service Commission, has suspended the Chief Justice from his office.

Iran

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his statement of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, column 50WS, on GAERC, 28 January 2008, when the strengthening of the EU's measures in support of action by the UN Security Council on Iran will take place; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We are working closely with EU partners to ensure that the EU is ready to adopt further measures as soon as possible after the next UN Security Council Resolution is adopted. Foreign Ministers of the E3+3 (UK, France, Germany, US, China and Russia) were unanimous in their agreement on elements of a new resolution on 22 January and we hope for an early vote in the UN Security Council.

Iran: Nuclear Power

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the use of P-2 centrifuges in the Iranian enrichment programme; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We are aware that Dr. Mohammad ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), visited an advanced centrifuge site during his visit to Iran on 11-12 January. During this visit, Iran provided some information to the IAEA about its research and development activities in relation to advanced centrifuge technology. We look forward to learning more about these developments in the next report from Dr. ElBaradei. Iran's enrichment programme has no apparent use in its civilian programme and contravenes three UN Security Council Resolutions. These resolutions require Iran to suspend all its enrichment-related activities.

Iran: Sanctions

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the economic and political impact of UN sanctions on Iran under UN Security Council Resolutions 1737 and 1747; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We continuously monitor the impact of sanctions through reporting from our embassy in Tehran and other means, including the assessments of analysts across Government and key allies on this issue. We also take note of relevant publications on this topic.

Israel: Human Rights

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the EU-Israel Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) has met; what monitoring the HRWG has undertaken of the implementation of the human rights provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement; and what conclusions have been drawn from the monitoring.

Kim Howells: Israel and the EU are committed to achieve closer political co-operation and dialogue on the basis of their common values. In November 2005, the EU-Israel subcommittee on Political Dialogue and Co-operation established an EU-Israel human rights working group. This informal working group has held two sessions on 7 June 2006 and 20 February 2007. A third is scheduled to take place on 15 April 2008. The EU-Israel subcommittee on Political Dialogue follows up the work of this informal working group. It last met to do so on 22 October 2007. The European Commission Delegation and EU member states posts in the region closely monitor the situation. Non-governmental organisations provide the EU with additional information and feedback. The situation is constantly evolving, making monitoring and assessment of it an ongoing process.
	We continue to have concerns about the human rights situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We are particularly concerned by targeted killings of Palestinians by the Israel Defence Forces; the firing of artillery shells near populated areas of the Gaza Strip causing deaths of civilians; continued settlement construction in the west bank; the impact of the barrier; closures; settler violence; and intimidation and harassment of Palestinian citizens. We also remain extremely concerned about human rights abuses in areas where the Palestinian Authority should take responsibility, in particular its failure to prevent terrorist attacks and rocket attacks on Israeli communities from Gaza and the continuing violence between Palestinian groups. We regularly raise these concerns with the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority.

Pakistan: Elections

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with the Government of Pakistan on the representation of religious minority groups in the selection of candidates for the forthcoming Pakistan parliamentary elections.

Kim Howells: In our regular contact with the Government of Pakistan at ministerial and official level, bilaterally and through the EU, we have stressed the need for free and fair elections. The elections, which took place on 18 February, were an opportunity for the people of Pakistan to exercise their democratic voice and participate fully in the process of electing their new government. The EU observer mission will report preliminary conclusions on the conduct of the elections on 20 February.
	We will want to work with the new Government to help build the institutional framework necessary for a sustained democratic transition and ensure that the fundamental rights of all Pakistani citizens, particularly the most vulnerable (women, minorities and children) are guaranteed, as laid down in the constitution of Pakistan and in accordance with international human rights standards.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials recently met with representatives from the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, a non-governmental organisation working on behalf of Christians in Pakistan, as part of our ongoing engagement with stakeholder communities. Officials remain in regular contact with them on minority religious rights issues.

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each such year.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 823W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker).
	Parking fines incurred and paid for by the Department over the financial year 2006-07 totalled £1,750 and for financial year 2007-08 (up to end January 2008) totalled £1,610.
	All of the drivers employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services are required to abide by the law at all times, they are held personally responsible for any speeding or other driving offences they may commit while on duty and these fines are not paid for from the public purse.
	For previous years the information is not held centrally and could not be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.
	In respect of vehicles provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 5 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1014-15W, by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick).

Spain: Arrest Warrants

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Spanish authorities on the decision of the courts there to seek international arrest warrants for 40 Rwandan soldiers accused of being complicit in the 1994 genocide.

Meg Munn: The issue of any such arrest warrants is a matter for the Spanish judiciary. Officials are in contact with the relevant Spanish authorities to find out more information on this matter. The execution of a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) in the UK is a judicial process based on mutual recognition between EU member states. Any EAW becomes executable when received and certified by the relevant designated authority, which is the Serious Organised Crime Agency in the UK.

Sudan: Chad

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of possible links between Sudan and rebel forces in Chad; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We are aware of reports that Sudan and Chad continue to support each other's rebels. In repeated bilateral contacts with the Sudanese Government, including during my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown's visit to Sudan on 28-31 January, we have urged Sudan to end this support. We have also supported calls by the UN and African Union to the Governments of Chad and Sudan to stop supporting each other's rebels, fulfil their obligations under the 2006 Tripoli agreement and abide by the cease-fire agreed in Libya in October 2007.

Sudan: Human Rights

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received reports of forcible repatriation of foreign nationals resident in Sudan to countries where they are at risk of persecution.

Meg Munn: The UK has not received any official reports or representations on the forcible repatriation of foreign nationals resident in Sudan.
	However, we remain in close contact with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Sudan who is responsible for ensuring refugees are afforded protection and treated equitably in their countries of refuge according to international human rights law.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what support his Department has given to the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations for the provision of helicopter units required by the UNAMID mission to Darfur;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost of the commercial provision of the helicopter units, engineers and pilots required by the UNAMID mission to Darfur.

Meg Munn: We have lobbied a number of countries to provide helicopters for the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). We helped to convene two meetings in New York in January between the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and over 20 countries to discuss helicopter provision for UNAMID. We understand Ethiopia has now offered to contribute a number of helicopters and the DPKO is following up with other potential contributing countries.
	We have discussed the feasibility of commercial helicopter support with DPKO, but we have not estimated the cost of full commercial provision of the UNAMID helicopter shortfall. We remain in close contact with the DPKO and partners to discuss how we can continue to support efforts to find helicopters, as well as other support to UNAMID.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the recent meeting of military advisers in New York convened by the UK on helicopters for UNAMID; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We helped to convene two meetings in New York in January between the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and over 20 countries to discuss helicopter provision for the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). We understand Ethiopia has now offered to contribute a number of helicopters for UNAMID. Significant shortfalls remain and the DPKO is now following up with other potential contributing countries. We remain in close contact with the DPKO and partners to discuss how we can continue to support efforts to find helicopters, as well as other support to UNAMID.

United Nations: Sanctions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people resident in the UK were subject to sanctions by the UN Security Council in 2002; what the average duration of those individuals' appearance on the sanctions list was; and how many individuals were removed from that list and for what reasons in that period.

Kim Howells: There were four individuals resident in the UK subject to UN sanctions in 2002. By the end of 2002 the average length of time spent by these individuals on the sanctions list was just over 13 months. No individuals resident in the UK were removed from the sanctions list during 2002.

United Nations: Sanctions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2008, what sanctions apply to UK persons who have been blacklisted by the UN under Chapter VII of the UN Charter; and whether these sanctions apply to travel.

Kim Howells: UK resident individuals who have been listed by the UN for sanctions are subject to an asset freeze and international travel ban. Exemptions are allowed on humanitarian grounds and in other situations as decided on a case by case basis by the UN Security Council.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Information Officers

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were employed in his Department's press office in each of the last five years; and how much it cost to run the office, including utilities and other expenses, in each year.

David Cairns: The number of press officers is published in the Office's annual reports, copies of which are in the House Library. The Office does not disaggregate its corporate and central running costs to this level of detail.

Departmental Stationery

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on stationery in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 11 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1495W.

Electricity

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on electricity in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: Expenditure was as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 28,439 
			 2003-04 23,703 
			 2004-05 23,372 
			 2005-06 21,650 
			 2006-07 36,488

Official Engagements

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many days he spent in Scotland on official business in each of the last 12 months.

Des Browne: Between January and June 2007, in addition to his constituency duties as Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire, South, my predecessor had official Scotland Office business in Scotland on 15 days as follows:
	
		
			   Days 
			 January 2007 1 
			 February 2007 5 
			 March 2007 2 
			 April 2007 2 
			 May 2007 4 
			 June 2007 1 
		
	
	Since June 2007, when I assumed the role of Secretary of State for Scotland, I have conducted official business in Scotland, in addition to my constituency duties as Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, in my capacities both as Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Defence, as follows:
	
		
			   Days 
			 June 2007 1 
			 July 2007 3 
			 August 2007 16 
			 September 2007 3 
			 October 2007 5 
			 November 2007 5 
			 December 2007 3 
			 January 2008 2 
		
	
	In addition to this, during weekends and parliamentary recesses, both I and my predecessor also executed official responsibilities in Scotland.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Annual Reports

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by what date he expects  (a) his Department,  (b) The Big Lottery Fund,  (c) Arts Council England,  (d) Sport England,  (e) The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council,  (f) The Heritage Lottery Fund,  (g) English Heritage and  (h) the BBC to publish their annual report and accounts for 2007-08.

Andy Burnham: The following dates are indicative:
	 (a) The Department intends to publish its 2007-08 Annual Report and Accounts before the House rises for the summer recess.
	 (b) The Big Lottery Fund intends to publish its 2007-08 Annual Report and Accounts before the House rises for the summer recess.
	 (c) Arts Council England intends to publish its 2007-08 Annual Report and Accounts before the House rises for the summer recess.
	 (d) Sport England's 2007-08 Annual Report and Accounts will be published before the House rises for the summer recess. They are in the process of finalising their financial timetable and have set a provisional publication date of 14 July 2008.
	 (e) The Museums, Libraries and Archive Council intends to publish its 2007-08 Annual Report and Accounts in September 2008.
	 (f) The Heritage Lottery Fund expects to lay its Annual Report and Accounts before the House of Commons on 16 July 2008 and publish them shortly thereafter.
	 (g) English Heritage intends to publish its 2007-08 Annual Report and Accounts by 22 July 2008.
	(h) The BBC intends to publish its 2007-08 Annual Report and Accounts in July 2008.

Departmental Computers

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) laptop computers and  (b) discs have gone missing from his Department in the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 25 January 2008
	Since 1998, nine laptops have been reported as missing from my Department. None of those laptops carried personal data. No laptops have gone missing since 2004.
	No discs have been reported as missing in the last 10 years.

Internet

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of households without access to the internet, broken down by  (a) income decile,  (b) ethnicity and  (c) region;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of households containing children without access to the internet, broken down by  (a) income decile,  (b) ethnicity and  (c) region;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of lone parents with internet access, broken down by income decile.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department uses cars provided by the Government Car and Dispatch Agency (GCDA).
	In respect of vehicles provided by GCDA I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 5 February 2008,  Official Report , columns 1008-14W.

Sports

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of people who participated in one active sport at least 12 times a year in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07, broken down by region.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Data from the DCMS' Taking Part survey shows the number of people who participated in one active sport at least 12 times a year. The table sets out the data by region.
	The active sport indicator is defined as at least one occasion of participation in an active sport during the past four weeks.
	
		
			   Active sport (percentage) 
			  Region  2005-06  2006-07 
			 North East 52 54 
			 North West 50 49 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 50 53 
			 East Midlands 55 56 
			 West Midlands 51 50 
			 East of England 57 55 
			 London 55 52 
			 South East 58 58 
			 South West 54 54 
			 England 54 53

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Departmental e-mail

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will take steps to reduce the number of hard copies of e-mails printed by officials in his Department.

Gareth Thomas: The Department already makes use of the advantages offered by its ICT technology to minimise the amount of printed material. For example we have an effective Department wide document management system called MATRIX whereby users are able to store and retrieve e-mails for viewing online rather than printing them out. This service is available to staff whether they are in the office or working remotely. We are also planning an educational initiative for staff to remind them of e-mail best practice, one aspect of which is to minimise the hard copy printing of e-mails and attachments.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when his Department's whistleblowing procedures were reviewed to reflect the provisions in the revised Civil Service Code.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for East Midlands (Phil Hope), on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 596W.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department and its agencies spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The former Department of Trade and Industry awarded end-year performance awards to Highly Successful performers as part of the annual pay award.
	Based on the information available, in the last five years the total amount of Annual Performance Awards is in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Annual Performance Awards ( 2) 
			  Financial year ( 1)  Total value ( 3)  (£) 
			 2002-03 1,579,906 
			 2003-04 1,505,328 
			 2004-05 1,563,180 
			 2005-06 1,808,630 
			 2006-07 2,532,180 
			 (1) Financial year running from 1 April to 31 March. (2) The Annual Performance Awards for non-SCS staff are paid on a non-consolidated, non-pensionable basis and do not increase the Department's pay-bill costs each year. For the SCS the Senior Salaries Review Body determines the level of expenditure to cover bonuses. (3) Performance awards make up 1.5 per cent. or less of the Department's pay bill. 
		
	
	The agencies of BERR are Companies House and the Insolvency Service. Information on their bonus payments is an operational matter for the chief executives of BERR agencies and I have asked them to reply to the hon. Member direct. A copy of their replies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Public Relations

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many external contracts his Department held with public relations companies since its inception; and what the total cost of those contracts has been to date.

Gareth Thomas: Central records indicate that for the period June 2007 to February 2008, since the Department's inception, the total cost of contracts with public relations companies is £387,501.

Departmental Special Advisers

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform who the special advisers in his Department are; what expertise each has; and what the cost of employing them was in the last year for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister issued a written ministerial statement on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 147-50WS. It gives the names of special advisers in post at 22 November 2007, the special advisers' pay ranges for 2007-08, the number of special advisers in each pay band by Department and the total pay bill cost of special advisers for 2006-07.

Departmental Special Advisers

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will list the special advisers employed in his Department and its predecessor since 6 May 1997; and what the  (a) start and  (b) end date of employment was in each case.

Gareth Thomas: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and numbers of special advisers in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon Friend the Prime Minister on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 147-50WS.
	Information on the employment of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and is available in the Library of the House.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he will reply to the letter of 2 December 2007 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Quiligottee, transferred by HM Treasury.

Gareth Thomas: HM Treasury transferred my right hon. Friend's letter on 4 December. On 10 December they requested that the letter be transferred back to them and my Department did this on 12 December.

Mobile Phones: Fraud

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken to protect consumers from phishing texts; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Under the provisions of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, any unsolicited text messages are illegal. Text messages should only be sent with the prior consent of the individual subscriber, but there is an exemption where the subscriber has given his or her mobile telephone number direct to a company in the context of the purchase of a product or service. Enforcement is undertaken by the Information Commissioner.

Post Offices: Carbon Emissions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what recent steps the Post Office has taken to reduce carbon emissions;
	(2)  which Post Office branches have been nominated for closure under Post Office Ltd's closure programme.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Closures

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to encourage the public to participate in promoting the post office closure consultation,
	(2)  how many households in each London borough will be sent the Post Office's consultation paper when the list of recommended closures is published on 19 February.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Closures

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which post offices are proposed for closure under the consultation process due to begin in July 2008 in  (a) Cambridgeshire and  (b) North East Cambridgeshire constituency.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Pendle

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will instruct the Post Office to publish the subsidy received by each post office branch in Pendle that is scheduled for closure.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to my hon. Friend.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Scotland

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post offices there were in Scotland at the end of January 2007.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Regional Development Agencies: Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much each regional development agency spent on  (a) consultants,  (b) IT systems,  (c) advertising and  (d) branding in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: The following table shows how much each regional development agency spent on consultants, IT systems, advertising and branding in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Consultancy( 1)  IT systems( 2) 
			  RDAs  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 AWM 572 453 672 496 247 271 504 169 199 257 
			 EEDA 279 267 226 714 563 526 721 705 771 810 
			 EMDA 621 295 149 228 148 481 878 523 389 309 
			 LDA(3) — — 335 287 1,400 — — 1,024 1,085 1,675 
			 NWDA 874 815 792 535 518 38 70 206 262 437 
			 ONE 183 146 200 309 197 590 695 502 589 663 
			 SEEDA 110 80 125 98 120 282 143 239 228 363 
			 SWRDA 527 431 648 557 281 232 318 463 356 1,312 
			 YF 180 270 296 194 228 758 1,537 790 725 754 
		
	
	
		
			  £000 
			   Advertising( 4)  Branding( 5) 
			  RDAs  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 AWM(6) 511 553 1,366 1,473 3,144 — — — — — 
			 EEDA 261 131 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 EMDA 102 110 99 85 35 0 0 0 0 38 
			 LDA(7) 77 333 634 275 393 — — — 214 194 
			 NWDA 149 99 198 185 414 7 33 0 30 21 
			 ONE(8) — 207 1,302 3,374 4,450 0 0 0 0 0 
			 SEEDA(9) 143 201 363 232 163 — — — — — 
			 SWRDA(10) 449 432 960 1,227 1,271 — — — — — 
			 YF 2,062 599 642 1,006 701 57 382 38 16.5 11 
			 (1) Consultancy services have been identified as services commissioned by RDAs to inform the management of the agency, organisational development, strategy development, and communications and marketing. This definition does not relate to services for specific project or programme delivery (for example legal advice on land deals as part of development projects). (2) IT systems covers hardware maintenance, internet and website charges, hardware procurement, membership and licences, other computer consumables, service level agreements, and software maintenance. (3) LDA adopted new recording systems in 2004-05. Figures before 2004-05 are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. (4) Advertising figures relate to marketing initiatives procured to promote the region. (5) Branding figures relate to the cost of including the agency logo in publicity material relating to partnership projects (eg billboards at regeneration sites), or costs related to developing or promoting the region or agency brand. In many cases, project developers bear the cost of branding related to specific projects, as per funding agreements with the RDA involved. (6) AWM is unable to separate marketing and branding costs within the "Marketing the Region" budget. Please refer to advertising figures. (7) Branding figures before 2005-06 are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. (8) There are no advertising figures for 2002-03 as Northumbria Tourism Board were financially responsible for tourism marketing in the region. The responsibility for tourism marketing for the entire North East region switched to ONE in 2004-05. (9) SEEDA is unable to separate marketing and branding costs. Please refer to advertising costs. (10) SWRDA is unable to separate the cost of project-specific marketing and branding from general marketing and branding expenditure. Please refer to advertising figures.

Regional Development Agencies: Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent on office premises by each regional development agency in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: The following table shows how much was spent on office premises by each RDA in the last five years.
	
		
			  Expenditure on office premises( 1) 
			  £000 
			  RDAs  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 AWM 940 1,407 1,503 1,692 1,475 
			 EEDA 695 577 1,095 760 1,111 
			 EMDA 490 672 783 907 921 
			 LDA 1,296 3,221 3,048 3,356 2,316 
			 NWDA 2,099 1,855 1,611 1,872 2,093 
			 ONE(2) 435 652 618 1,023 1,230 
			 SEEDA(3) 1,853 2,299 1,931 1,755 1,741 
			 SWRDA(4) 743 711 721 1,061 1,284 
			 YF 950 1,211 648 1,812 832 
			 (1) Includes rent, rates, service charges, insurances, cleaning, utilities, security, and maintenance. Figures refer to head offices and other smaller offices from which RDA staff work throughout the region. Some RDAs own their own premises, others rent or lease accommodation. Also, in the last five years some RDAs have moved offices. (2 )From 2003, ONE took on extra responsibilities including tourism and transfer of some responsibilities from Government office. The lower costs in earlier years were a rent-free period on taking up the leases. (3 )Calculated at net costs, rent income is deducted. (4 )2006-07: rent increases at two offices together with arrears paid from April 2005. (5 )In February 2005, YF purchased the premises which it was renting. This accounts for the subsequent increase in expenditure 2005-06. As the organisation's responsibilities expanded it has rented additional office space next door to its current premises.

Regional Development Agencies: Stationery

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much each regional development agency spent on  (a) stationery and  (b) headed paper in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: RDAs do not record information to a level of detail to separate the cost of headed paper from other stationery and items bearing the agencies' logos. The following table shows how much each RDA spent on stationery and headed paper in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Expenditure on stationery and headed paper( 1) 
			  £000 
			  RDAs  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 AWM(2) 174 148 115.5 128 62 
			 EEDA 81 67 105 99 86 
			 EMDA 81 99 82 68 69 
			 LDA(3) — — 187 145 181 
			 NWDA 110 87 95 80 137 
			 ONE 93 117 243 225 152 
			 SEEDA 77.5 66 46 69.5 68.5 
			 SWRDA 82 82.5 84.5 68 80 
			 YF(4) 150.5 150.5 173 140 112 
			 (1) Headed paper includes business cards, compliment slips, envelopes and letterhead. (2) Includes cost of printing certain corporate materials which is not possible to separate from other stationery costs. (3) This includes cost of printing certain corporate materials such as board reports which is not possible to separate from other stationery costs. LDA adopted new recording systems in 2004-05. Figures before 2004-05 are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. (4) This includes cost of printing certain corporate materials including the Regional Economic Strategy and Annual Accounts.

Regional Development Agencies: Trade Unions

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles), of 9 January 2008,  Official Report, column 676W, on regional development agencies: trade unions, what grants were given by each regional development agency to  (a) trade unions and  (b) the Trades Union Congress from the date of their establishment to the start of the period covered in the answer.

Patrick McFadden: RDAs fund initiatives through a variety of third party organisations to deliver projects to increase economic growth, such as on work force development and economic inclusion. The specific focus and priorities of such activities are set out in each region's regional economic strategy and will differ according to the needs, opportunities and priorities for economic growth in each region.
	The following funding has been provided by RDAs to trade unions as requested in the question.
	
		
			  RDA  Trade union  Project  Grant (£000) 
			 AWM Unity Trade Union Work force development project, ensuring individuals subject to redundancy were aware of skills in demand in their local area 333 
			 YF National Farmers Union Research on rural development project 38 
		
	
	The following funding has also been provided by RDAs to the Trades Union Congress as requested in the question.
	
		
			  RDA  Project  Grants (£000 ) 
			 AWM Improving workplace skills across the West Midlands region 307 
			 EEDA Raising basic skills in the workplace 189 
			 LDA Trade union participation in regional economic development. Strengthening London trade unions capacity for more effective input to the design and delivery of economic policy and programmes 225 
			 LDA Adult Learners Week Fund, LDA/Union Learn/SERTUC partnership to stimulate learning in workplaces with trade union representation where union learning representatives recruit and support learners 289 
			 NWDA Capacity and effectiveness of trade union learning representatives. Research-based project commissioned by UCLAN to look at capacity and effectiveness of trade union learn representatives across the region 68 
			 ONE TUC and ONE "Working Together" project. Helping local businesses raise their profile 191 
			 SWRDA Trade unions working for the South West 427 
			 SWRDA TUC Learning Services 8 
			 SWRDA Equalities South West 78

South East England Development Agency: Expenditure

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will give a breakdown of the South East England Development Agency's expenditure by main budget heading for each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: The expenditure figures provided in the following tables are based on SEED A's Annual Reports and Accounts. The main budget headings relate to SEED A's Corporate Plans 2005-08 and 2002-05. The expenditure headings for the two plans were not the same.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Programme expenditure  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			 Business and international 46,987 49,478 — — — 
			 Learning and skills 25,641 23,667 — — — 
			 Development and infrastructure 54,743 33,931 — — — 
			 Strategy and sustainability 9,323 9,266 — — — 
			 Resources 8,150 10,301 — — — 
			 DCLG (ODPM)—community fund 4,331 7,395 — — — 
			 Coalfields 991 257 — — — 
			 European funds 7,260 6,416 — — — 
			 Subsidiary companies 14 22 — — — 
			 Sub-total 157,440 140,733 — — — 
			   
			 Staff and admin expenditure 24,339 22,340 — — — 
			   
			 Assets expenditure 13,630 18,427 — — — 
			   
			 Total 195,409 181,500 — — — 
		
	
	
		
			  £000 
			  Programme expenditure  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			 Business and international — — 10,534 8,823 7,359 
			 Learning, skills and work force, wired region and social inclusion — — 12,612 12,974 9,402 
			 Community renaissance and infrastructure — — 65,232 58,874 45,040 
			 Strategy and corporate services — — 899 1,242 1,970 
			 ODPM—community fund — — 9,398 916 — 
			 European funds — — 3,110 2,860 — 
			 Sub-total — — 101,785 85,689 63,771 
			   
			 Non grant expenditure — — 6,349 4,826 2,730 
			 Coalfield expenditure — — 210 3,817 88 
			   
			 Staff and admin expenditure — — 21,131 20,047 15,070 
			   
			 Assets expenditure — — 34,595 10,632 11,194 
			   
			 Total — — 164,070 125,011 92,853

Tourism: Expenditure

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much each regional development agency spent on tourism in each of the last three years.

Patrick McFadden: The following figures refer to spending by RDAs on core tourism and leisure objectives.
	
		
			   Expenditure on tourism (£ million)( 1) 
			  RDAs  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 AWM 2.2 2.3 3.8 
			 EEDA(2) 0.6 0.8 1.5 
			 EMDA 3 4.5 5.3 
			 LDA(3) 23.7 23.8 23.9 
			 NWDA 4 5 6.1 
			 ONE(4) 3.3 7.1 10.8 
			 SEEDA 1.8 2.4 2.2 
			 SWRDA 1.5 3 3.2 
			 YF 1.7 2.2 3.9 
			 (1) RDAs have also spent on activities related to tourism initiatives (such as general marketing of a region; specific regeneration projects; or human resource development) but this money has not been allocated from core tourism budgets. (2) EEDA's business model for tourism changed significantly over this three year period, resulting in the increased level of investment for 2006-07. (3) LDA figures include core funding to VisitLondon. (4) ONE took over the delivery of tourism in 2004-05, which is delivered from within the agency.

Unfair Practices: Sales

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1480W, on unfair practices: sales, what guidance his Department has published on whether the Directive will apply to the purchase of a trade union membership subscription itself, where that trade union provides legal advice, or special deals for meals and training, as part of the substantive union product itself.

Patrick McFadden: The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive is unlikely to apply to a person purchasing a trade union membership subscription itself. This is because such a person is unlikely to be acting as a consumer for the purposes of the directive.
	The OFT will shortly be publishing Guidance on the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 illustrating how the regulations may apply in practice. The guidance is principally intended to help traders to comply with the regulations. It will also be of use to enforcers and consumer advisers in understanding what conduct is prohibited.

TRANSPORT

A14

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the contract to Costain-Skanska JV for the A14 Ellington and Fen Ditton scheme was let for.

Tom Harris: holding answer 18 February 2008
	Costain-Skanska JV have been awarded an early contractor involvement (ECI) contract to design the whole of the proposed A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement. Subject to statutory procedures and the meeting of performance levels stated in the contract, Costain-Skanska JV will construct the Fen Drayton to Histon section of the scheme. The contract value for this section is £314.5 million.
	The construction of the Ellington to Fen Drayton and Histon to Fen Ditton sections of the scheme will be subject to separate tendering and contract award procedures upon completion of the statutory processes.

Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what level of noise according to the findings of the most recent Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England (ANASE) report would create the same level of community annoyance as 57dBA was reported to have created in the 1986 ANASE report.

Jim Fitzpatrick: While the Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England (ANASE) study indicates that it is highly probable that annoyance with a particular level of aircraft noise is higher than found in the 1985 Aircraft Noise Index Study, the ANASE study shows no evidence of a threshold at which people become very much more annoyed.
	In terms of making quantitative comparisons between the results from ANASE and the earlier ANIS study, expert peer reviewers of the ANASE study advised that
	"reliance on the detailed outcome of ANASE would be misplaced"
	and that they would
	"counsel against using the detailed results and conclusions from ANASE in the development of Government policy".
	Although the report does not provide evidence for increasing or reducing the figure of 57 dBA Leq (16 hours) as the onset of significant community annoyance we believe it is right that we retain this as a safeguard for those who are most affected by aircraft noise. In the 'Future of Air' Transport White Paper the Government gave a commitment that further development of Heathrow could only be considered if it resulted in no net increase in the total area of the 57 dBA noise contour compared with summer 2002, a contour area of 127 sq km. That commitment stands and the ability to meet it is a key consideration in the current consultation on adding capacity at Heathrow.
	Additionally, as we announced when the ANASE study was released, pending the availability of a better alternative we will apply existing valuation for road and rail noise when assessing the economic impact of noise in the cost-benefit analysis of future aviation projects. We have taken this approach in the case of Heathrow consultation.
	The findings from ANASE suggest that further work would be useful in a number of areas. As a first step the Department has recently chaired a meeting of the Air Noise Monitoring Committee (ANMAC) whose role is to advise the Department on policy relating to aircraft noise. The Department is working with the committee to prioritise further research and produce a programme or work.

Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account she plans to take of her Department's Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources study on aircraft noise in formulating policy.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England (ANASE) study provided a better understanding of the complex issues surrounding aircraft noise although as the peer reviewers made clear it does not give sufficiently robust figures on which it would be safe to change policy. The Department for Transport is in the course of evaluating and considering the recommendations made for further research.
	The study makes clear that there is no particular threshold of noise at which people become very much more annoyed. In addition, the report does not provide evidence for increasing or reducing the figure of 57 dBA Leq (16 hours) as the onset of significant community annoyance. However we believe it is right that we retain this as a safeguard for those who are most affected by aircraft noise. In the 'Future of Air' Transport White Paper the Government gave a commitment that further development of Heathrow could only be considered if it resulted in no net increase in the total area of the 57 dBA noise contour compared with summer 2002, a contour area of 127 sq km. That commitment stands and the ability to meet it is a key consideration in the current consultation on adding capacity at Heathrow.
	Additionally, as we announced when the ANASE study was released, pending the availability of a better alternative we will apply existing valuation for road and rail noise when assessing the economic impact of noise in the cost-benefit analysis of future aviation projects. We have taken this approach in the case of Heathrow consultation.
	The findings from ANASE suggest that further work would be useful in a number of areas. As a first step the Department has recently chaired a meeting of the Air Noise Monitoring Committee (ANMAC) whose role is to advise the Department on policy relating to aircraft noise. The Department is working with the committee to prioritise further research and produce a programme or work.

Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has included the result of the Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England in the assumptions underlying data shown in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport public consultation document; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: While the Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England (ANASE) study indicates that it is highly probable that annoyance with a particular level of aircraft noise is higher than found in the 1985 Aircraft Noise Index Study, the ANASE study shows no evidence of a threshold at which people become very much more annoyed.
	In addition, the report does not provide evidence for increasing or reducing the figure of 57 dBA Leq (16 hours) as the approximate onset of significant community annoyance. However we believe it is right that we retain this as a safeguard for those who are most affected by aircraft noise. In the 'Future of Air Transport' White Paper the Government gave a commitment that further development of Heathrow could only be considered if it resulted in no net increase in the total area of the 57 dBA noise contour compared with summer 2002, a contour area of 127 sq km. That commitment stands and the ability to meet it is a key consideration in the current consultation on adding capacity at Heathrow.
	Additionally, as we announced when the ANASE study was released, pending the availability of a better alternative we will apply existing valuation for road and rail noise when assessing the economic impact of noise in the cost-benefit analysis of future aviation projects. We have taken this approach in the case of Heathrow consultation.
	The findings from ANASE suggest that further work would be useful in a number of areas. As a first step the Department has recently chaired a meeting of the Air Noise Monitoring Committee (ANMAC) whose role is to advise the Department on policy relating to aircraft noise. The Department is working with the committee to prioritise further research and produce a programme of work.

Aviation: Emissions Trading

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) research and  (b) discussion has been conducted or is planned by her Department on the role of emissions trading within the aviation industry; and what representations have been received by her Department on this matter.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Government support for emissions trading for the aviation industry was outlined in the 2003 Future of Air Transport White Paper. Since then, policy development has continued to be informed by further research and discussion. The Department has engaged with a broad range of stakeholders, including the aviation industry, on emissions trading and its evidence base, and we will continue to do so both in Europe and in our work in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Aviation: Noise

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which authorities are responsible for  (a) measuring and  (b) enforcing limits on aircraft noise.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has overall responsibility for aircraft noise policy. The 'Future of Air Transport' White Paper set out our key aim to limit and where possible reduce the number of people in the UK significantly affected by aircraft noise.
	Prior to entry into service, the noise levels generated by any aircraft design are measured by the applicant/manufacturer and then approved by a certificating authority. With regard to the UK, the approving authority is the European Aviation Safety Organisation (EASA), except for light propeller aircraft and microlights where the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) retains responsibility. Certification noise limits are set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the most recent 'Chapter 4' noise limits for large aircraft were introduced on the 1 January 2006.
	The Department is responsible for specific noise mitigation measures at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports. At other airports, noise restrictions may be imposed voluntarily by the airport operator or by local planning conditions/agreements. However the Civil Aviation Act 2006 introduced explicit statutory powers for non-designated airports to make noise control schemes and to impose penalties for non-compliance.
	In terms of measuring noise, aircraft noise contours for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted using the Leq metric are produced annually for the Department by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
	Under the European Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC, all major airports have been required to produce noise maps for 2006, based on the Lden metric. These maps were published on the website of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on 18 December 2007. Responsibility for implementation of the directive in England falls to DEFRA.
	As far as aircraft noise is concerned away from the vicinity of airports, I refer the right hon. Member to my answer to his question of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 140-41W. This sets out the process for deciding on any airspace changes.

Bicycles: Safety Measures

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken following the review in 2001-02 of the regulations dealing with safety standards for pedal cycles; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A public consultation on bicycle safety standards took place in 2001-02. Following this review the Department for Transport introduced The Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations 2003 (Statutory Instrument 2003 No. 1101) and revoked the previous Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations.

British Transport Police: Expenditure

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the British Transport police spent on border security and enforcement in each of the last three financial years.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: parliament@btp.pnn.police.uk

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what audits her Department and its agencies carried out of their data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Audits are principally carried out independently of line management by Internal Audit functions at the Department for Transport (DfT) and its agencies. Line management also performs audits and other checks, including those performed as part of systems accreditation processes.
	Since the DfT came into being in May 2002 its Internal Audit group has performed over 100 audits that have included evaluations and tests of management's systems of internal control over data and IT equipment. These internal audits form part of annual Internal Audit plans which are subject to the approval of the DfT and Agency Audit Committees. Internal audits typically focus on areas of greatest risk or on ensuring compliance with appropriate standards and controls. The results of internal audits are communicated to line management and reported to the DfT and agency Audit Committees.
	Records of internal audits performed are not maintained centrally but are kept locally by each of the Department's Internal Audit functions. Because of the decentralised nature of management responsibility for data and IT equipment within Agencies, specific record-keeping arrangements for management audits and checks vary between Agencies and are not maintained centrally.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisations which have been asked to protect sensitive data on behalf of her Department and its agencies, met the SAS 70 or equivalent standard prior to receiving the information.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 70 is an auditing standard issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. It contains the professional standards for auditors to report on the controls of a service organisation.
	A SAS 70 report is primarily an auditor-to-auditor communication and is designed to provide information and assurance to the auditors of the financial statements of user organisations to enable those auditors to obtain an understanding of the service organisation's internal control.
	Organisations do not, therefore, "meet" the standard, although reports issued under the standard contain the auditor's opinion on control objectives and activities. The standard is not specifically designed as a data privacy or security audit mechanism, although it has applicability in these areas. The standard is recognised in Europe.
	Although SAS 70 audits may have been performed at the Department's external contractors, the Standard does not specify a pre-determined set of control objectives and activities that service organisations must achieve. HMG has its own detailed manuals and guidelines for controlling data security, and the data exchanged with the Department's contractors should have been subject to those control standards.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who in her Department is responsible for ensuring that all issues which are categorised by data security audits as requiring attention are managed quickly and effectively.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The relevant Accounting Officer is ultimately responsible for addressing audit issues. Individual issues are typically assigned to a named individual or relevant manager who will be responsible for ensuring that issues are managed in accordance with appropriate action plans and due dates included in audit reports.
	The Department's Internal Audit group has follow-up procedures where appropriate to confirm that issues have been addressed. Audit Committees maintain oversight of Internal Audit follow-up procedures.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department and its agencies retain a list of issues arising out of each data security audit.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Issues identified during internal audits are reported to management responsible for the business area subject to the audit. Line managers are responsible for implementing actions to address recommendations arising from the audit, and should maintain lists of issues to enable them to do so. Because these responsibilities are decentralised across the Department and its Agencies, a standard management process for the retention of lists of audit issues centrally has not been adopted. Audit reports retained by management may, however, effectively fulfil this purpose.
	The Department's internal audit group maintains its own records of audit issues. Because the functions within the group are aligned to individual Agencies, standardised retention periods for lists of audit issues have not been adopted. Individual issues may be maintained on lists until the relevant issue has been cleared or may be retained longer dependent upon local custom and practice.
	Lists of issues arising from audits and other checks performed by management, such as accreditations, may not be maintained if there is limited benefit to doing so once the issue has been resolved.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which companies her Department and its agencies have engaged to conduct audits of data security processes.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department's internal audit group has contractual arrangements with third party partners who are able to provide technical expertise to assist with data security audits. These partners are typically either recognised national or international auditing firms or smaller specialist auditing practices. Companies or firms who have provided resource in this capacity include Deloitte and Touche, Grant Thornton, Bentley Jennison, Insight Consulting, Hayes, and Square 1.
	Other organisations employed by Department and agency line management to perform audits of data security processes include Fleet Support and Commissum.

Departmental Publications

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what public information booklets were published by her Department in 2007; and what the  (a) print run and  (b) cost to the Department was in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department and executive agencies produce a range of guidance that is disseminated to the general public covering advice on issues such as road safety, taxation of vehicles, learning to drive and concessionary bus fares.
	Information on the print run and cost of each individual item produced in 2007 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority: Data Protection

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many parking enforcement companies received personal information from the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority database after requesting a hard copy of this information in the latest 12 months for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database does not record parking enforcement companies as a separate category supplied with hard copy data under reasonable cause provisions. This information is not therefore available.

Driving Tests: Standards

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many times non-delegated driving examiners in the Driving Standards Agency were tested in 2007;
	(2)  how many delegated examiners there are working for the Driving Standards Agency; and how many delegated examiners were tested by the Driving Standards Agency in 2007;
	(3)  how many PSV/HGV tests were carried out by  (a) delegated and  (b) Driving Standards Agency examiners in 2007; and how many and what percentage of these resulted in the candidate passing in each category.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  2007 
			   Driving examiners employed by the Driving Standards Agency  Driving examiners employed by fire and police authorities and bus and coach operators 
			 Number of driving examiners (1)1,989 (2)265 
			 PCV tests conducted 10,357 9,701 
			 PCV tests passed 5,109 5,781 
			 Percentage pass rate 49.3 59.5 
			 LGV tests conducted 73,725 1,611 
			 LGV tests passed 33,826 1,230 
			 Percentage pass rate 45.9 76.3 
			 Number of supervised driving tests(3) 13,815 — 
			 Number of examiners receiving supervisory visits — (4)45 
			 (1) At 31 January 2008. (2) Only 209 examiners conducted a test in 2007. (3) Car, lorry, motorcycle and bus practical driving tests. Each examiner has several supervisory tests during a 12-month period. (4) More than one supervised driving test may be conducted during the visit to each driving examiner and each supervised examiner may have received visits on more than one occasion.

Driving Tests: Standards

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the arrangements for quality assurance in relation to delegated examiners and driving examiners in the Driving Standards Agency will be merged.

Jim Fitzpatrick: From 1 July 2008, all driving examiners employed by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and all driving examiners employed by fire and police authorities and bus and coach operators will be subject to a programme of a minimum six driving tests per year where the examiners performance will be observed and assessed by a more senior member of staff. There will be the provision for additional supervision where performance indicates a requirement.
	Unsatisfactory performance will result in the examiner undergoing remedial training. In the case of continued unsatisfactory performance, the authority to conduct tests may be withdrawn (in line with DSA procedures).
	Additionally, driving examiners, whether employed by DSA or the other organisations will receive independent quality assurance visits from members of the chief driving examiner's team.

Freight: Industrial Health and Safety

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents resulting in fatalities caused by heavy goods vehicles carrying unstable loads of scrap metal occurred in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available.

Itis Holdings

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what payments her Department and its agencies have made to Itis Holdings in the last 36 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport and its agencies have made payments totalling £3,472,125, including VAT, to Itis Holdings plc between 1 February 2005 and 31 January 2008.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many successful prosecutions the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency secured against motorists failing to pay vehicle excise duty in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of successful prosecutions in magistrates courts for unlicensed vehicle excise duty offences (section 29) for each financial year is as follows:
	
		
			  April to March  Number 
			 1999-2000 204,606 
			 2000-01 203,773 
			 2001-02 223,047 
			 2002-03 229,846 
			 2003-04 234,924 
			 2004-05 189,441 
			 2005-06 142,055 
			 2006-07 103,108 
		
	
	The total number of prosecutions for the first 10 months of 2007-08 is currently 69,847.
	Section 29 vehicle excise duty offences are identified by police and local authorities. Since the introduction of continuous registration (CR) enforcement from the record in March 2004, these reports have gradually decreased. Since 2004-05, in addition to the achieved prosecutions in the table, the following number of evasion cases have been successfully settled out of court:
	
		
			  April to March  Number 
			 2004-05 317,482 
			 2005-06 425,698 
			 2006-07 391,708 
		
	
	The total number for the first 10 months of 2007-08 is currently 381,980.

Motorcycles: Parks

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are in place restricting motorbike use in public parks.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Use of motorcycles on roads in public parks which are designated public highways will be subject to the road traffic Acts as set out in The Highway Code. Use of motorcycles on other roads, or elsewhere within a public park, may be subject to park regulations, which will be a matter for the relevant local authority.

Motorcycles: Public Footpaths

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her policy is on the use of motorbikes on public pathways.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Rule 145 of The Highway Code makes it clear that it is illegal to drive or ride any vehicle on or over a pavement, footpath or bridleway, except to gain lawful access to property, or in the case of an emergency. Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police.

Motorcycles: Public Footpaths

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints were made on the improper use of public pathways by motorbike users in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: None.

Motorcycles: Public Footpaths

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many accidents were reported due to the improper use of public pathways by motorbike users in the last five years;
	(2)  how many accidents have occurred within the last 12 months due to improper use of public pathways by motorbikers.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No information is available on accidents off the public highway.
	The numbers of reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one motorcycle in Great Britain in 2002 to 2006, by vehicle location on the public highway are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of accidents 
			  Vehicle location  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 On main carriageway 28,478 28,389 25,711 24,781 23,377 
			 Footway (pavement) 151 141 154 202 160 
			 Tram rail track or bus lane/way(1) 129 126 141 142 113 
			 Cycleway(1) 27 34 56 45 42 
			 Lay-by or hard shoulder 38 28 37 37 42 
			 (1) Only when the lane is on the public highway 
		
	
	These data show the number of accidents involving at least one motorcycle and at least one casualty. They do not indicate the cause of the accident, including whether or not the location of the motorcycle was a contributory factor.

Roads: Accidents

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) deaths and  (b) injuries occurred on roads in (i) Cornwall and (ii) England in the most recent year for which data is available, broken down by age.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of  (a) deaths and  (b) injuries resulting from reported personal injury road accidents in (i) Cornwall and (ii) England in 2006 by age of casualty are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of casualties 
			   Cornwall  England 
			  Age of casualty  Killed  Injured( 1)  Killed  Injured( 1) 
			 0-4 1 21 25 2,809 
			 5-7 0 31 12 3,212 
			 8-11 0 53 29 6,423 
			 12-15 1 101 68 9,650 
			 16-19 8 438 348 29,224 
			 20-29 8 509 624 52,791 
			 30-39 6 375 415 40,637 
			 40-49 10 339 340 32,290 
			 50-59 5 271 240 20,368 
			 60-69 3 152 166 11,229 
			 70-79 1 108 196 6,977 
			 80+ 7 57 223 3,957 
			 Total(2) 50 2,640 2,695 225,882 
			 (1) Slightly or seriously injured (2) Includes cases where age of casualty is not reported

Roads: Accidents

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the accident cluster sites are in  (a) the St Edmundsbury Borough Council area and  (b) the Mid Suffolk District Council area.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There is no standard definition for an accident cluster site. The assessment of local accident cluster sites is a matter for the relevant local highway authorities.

Roads: Accidents

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic  (a) accidents and  (b) fatalities occurred on the A14 in Suffolk between the hours of 8pm and 8am in each year since 1997; and how many road traffic (i) accidents and (ii) fatalities occurred in Suffolk between the hours of 8pm and 8am in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of reported personal injury road accidents and the resulting fatalities on the A14 in Suffolk, and in Suffolk, between the hours of 8 pm and 8 am in each year from 1997 to 2006 are given in the table.
	
		
			   A14 in Suffolk  Suffolk 
			   Accidents  Fatalities  Accidents  Fatalities 
			 1997 29 3 519 15 
			 1998 23 1 526 4 
			 1999 26 1 518 22 
			 2000 33 4 502 21 
			 2001 39 5 553 18 
			 2002 50 3 543 19 
			 2003 36 1 566 20 
			 2004 37 3 518 16 
			 2005 42 2 530 19 
			 2006 37 2 484 19

Roads: Finance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which road building projects will be  (a) cancelled and  (b) delayed due to the budget overrun at the Highways Agency; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: holding answer 18 February 2008
	The Highways Agency (HA) is currently re-estimating the costs of its roads programme following the recommendations of the Nichols Review. The Department for Transport and the Highways Agency are also studying the scope for more advanced traffic management solutions.
	We will consider the national element of the HA major roads programme up to 2014 once this work is completed, and an announcement will be made in the spring. Until then it is not possible to say what the implications will be for particular schemes.
	Regional HA major roads schemes and their timings are considered within the regional funding allocation process.

Rolling Stock

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Written Statement of 30 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 18-20WS, on rolling stock, how many of the 1,300 extra carriages referred to in the White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Railway, will be  (a) new rolling stock and  (b) a re-deployment of existing rolling stock.

Tom Harris: holding answer 4 February 2008
	 There will be a net increase of 1,300 new train carriages. The rolling stock plan, published on 30 January details indicative figures for the number of additional carriages each train operating company will receive. Some of these train carriages will be new; some will be freed up from other train operating companies (TOCs). Some TOCs will order more trains so that they can move some of their existing carriages to other TOCs. The table at appendix B of the Rolling Stock Plan shows how many extra carriages each TOC will receive as a result of these moves.
	The final mix between new and cascaded stock will be determined after detailed discussions with individual TOCs.

Shipping: Equality

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the Government to respond to its recent consultation on proposals to amend Section 9 of the Race Relations Act 1976.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A summary of the responses to the consultation has been published on the Department for Transport website and has been placed in the Libraries of the House. During the course of the consultation, further issues for consideration were raised. We will be in a position to announce the Government position and timetable for amendment as soon as we have analysed the options in the light of these new points.

Transport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions her Department has had or plans to have on the causal processes and mechanisms responsible for  (a) past and  (b) potential future modal shifts between air transport and other modes of transport for (i) passengers and (ii) freight on (A) domestic and (B) international flights; and what representations have been received on this matter.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport regularly has discussions with and receives representations from stakeholders on matters relating to air transport. The Department also examines a range of evidence to inform its policymaking, and it is aware of a number of reports of particular relevance to modal shift between air transport and other modes, including:
	"To shift or not to shift, that's the question: the environmental performance of the principal modes of freight and passenger transport in the policy-making context", a report produced for the Dutch National Institute of Public Health and the Environment by CE, Delft, March 2003
	"A Comparative Study of the Environmental Effects of Rail and Short-haul Air Travel", a report produced for the Commission for Integrated Transport by AEA Technology and the Civil Aviation Authority, September 2001
	"High Speed Line Study", an appraisal conducted for the Strategic Rail Authority by WS Atkins, October 2004.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members: Pay

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Leader of the House which Back-Bench Members receive pay and emoluments from the Members' vote in addition to their basic salary.

Helen Goodman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Leader of the House on 24 January 2008,  Official  Report, column 2144W. A total of 65 hon. and right hon. Members are currently paid an additional salary from within the Members estimate. This total comprises 31 select committee chairmen, 31 members of the Chairmen's Panel (a reduction of one from the figure applicable at the time of the answer of 24 January) and three Deputy Speakers. (The total excludes Members in receipt of a salary under the Ministers and Other Salaries Act 1975.)

Members: Training

Ian Gibson: To ask the Leader of the House if she will make it her policy to make available to hon. Members training in correlation, significance and statistical analysis.

Helen Goodman: Members may use their Incidental Expenses Provision to pay for appropriate training. Members are responsible for setting up and organising such training, and may submit claims accordingly.
	A procurement exercise is currently being undertaken to re-let the contract for this service, which has to date been provided by WWP Training Ltd.
	No such training is currently provided, although if there were sufficient demand it would be possible to investigate provision of such training under the terms of the contract.

Parliamentary Questions: Members Interests

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Leader of the House if she will bring forward proposals for a mechanism by which oral and written parliamentary questions can be asked and answered in relation to the rules on the declaration and registration of hon. Members' interests; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: I have no plans to do so. Within the overall framework set by the House, the content and interpretation of the rules relating to the declaration and registration of hon. Members' interests are matters for the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the Committee on Standards and Privileges.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the total volume of carbon emissions from his Department's estate in each year since 2005.

Shahid Malik: The Department for International Development has made the following estimates of carbon emissions from the UK estate since 2005:
	
		
			   Carbon emissions CO 2  (tonnes) 
			 2005-06 4,072 
			 2006-07 4,082

Fairtrade Foundation: Finance

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department gave to the  (a) Fairtrade Foundation and  (b) the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation in each of the last three years; how much funding he plans to allocate to these organisations in the next three financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Over the last five years DFID has committed nearly £1 million to the Fairtrade Foundation (FTF). The annual breakdown is shown as follows:
	
		
			   Commitment to the Fairtrade Foundation (£) 
			 2005-06 264,169 
			 2006-07 296,795 
			 2007-08 413,103 
		
	
	We have not provided any funding directly to the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO).
	We are currently discussing future funding with the FTF and FLO as the international umbrella organisation for fair trade labelling. We remain committed to expanding the fair trade sector and will consider favourably proposals that arise as a result of the strategic review.

Nicaragua: Overseas Aid

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the UK gave in  (a) bilateral aid and  (b) contributions to EU aid to Nicaragua in each of the last three yeas; and how much is planned to be given in the next three years.

Shahid Malik: Information on UK aid to Nicaragua is available in the DFID publication "Statistics on International Development 2007". This publication is available online at www.dfid.gov.uk. Relevant figures are reproduced in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: UK total bilateral gross public expenditure (GPEX) on development to Nicaragua: 2004-05 to 2006-07 
			   Total GPEX (£000) 
			 2004-05 7,582 
			 2005-06 4,160 
			 2006-07 5,098 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Imputed UK share of multilateral official development assistance (ODA) 2003 to 2005 
			  £000 
			   EC  UN  World Bank  Other multilateral  Total 
			 2003 5,845 373 15,668 1,392 23,278 
			 2004 5,862 466 3,053 460 9,841 
			 2005 4,682 481 4,822 -185 9,800 
		
	
	Although Nicaragua will be classed a middle income country in 2008, we will maintain our programme at £4 million per year, switching from funding to the Government to providing support through other channels, including civil society.

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines have been issued for vehicles used by his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each such year.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) currently uses five vehicles provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA). I refer to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 5 February 2008,  Official Report , column 1015W, with respect to these vehicles.
	DFID has used one other vehicle for official purposes which was in use until 6 December 2007. This vehicle has not incurred any fixed penalty tickets in the last 10 years.
	We do not keep central records of vehicles used by our overseas offices and could not provide information on them without incurring disproportionate cost.

Timor Leste: Overseas Aid

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much international aid and development funding was given to East Timor in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The forum for international aid reporting is the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) which publishes official development assistance (ODA) figures on a calendar year basis. The international aid figures for East Timor for 2006 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Official development assistance for 2006 
			   East Timor  (£ million) 
			 UK ODA 2.29 
			 Other bilateral donors ODA 92.42 
			 Multilateral donors ODA 19.26 
			 Total ODA 113.97

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Mineral Water

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Prime Minister's Office has spent on mineral water in each of the last three years.

Tom Watson: The Prime Minister's Office forms an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	This information is not separately identified in the Cabinet Office accounts and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

V

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the budget of v has been in each year since its establishment; and how many  (a) staff and  (b) whole-time equivalent staff are employed by v.

Phil Hope: The amounts budgeted for v by the Office of the Third Sector since its launch in May 2006 are given in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 Grant funding 18,143,000 39,077,100 
			 Match funding 7,500,000 8,029,358 
			 Total 25,643,000 46,907,792 
		
	
	At the end of January 2008 v had 30 staff, the full-time equivalent of 29.2 staff.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the number of under 18 year olds who have volunteered on a regular basis in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The last full year figures for number of 16 to 17-year-olds who have volunteered on a regular basis (at least once a month in the previous year) is in the following table:
	
		
			  England, 2001, 2003, 2005: Regular volunteering—at least once a month 
			  Percentage 
			   2001  2003  2005 
			 Formal volunteering 29 30 33 
			 Informal volunteering 37 53 47 
			 All volunteering n/a n/a 60 
			  Source: Citizenship Survey 
		
	
	In the 2003 Citizenship Survey results also showed that 63 per cent. of 11 to 15-year-olds in England and Wales had given help (not regular volunteering) to clubs, groups or organisations in the previous year.

TREASURY

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the data disc was sent by HM Revenue and Customs to Standard Life containing details of personal pension contributions; when it was discovered to be lost; and when this loss was reported to Ministers.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 6 December 2007
	 The CD containing information for Standard Life left HMRC's office on 25 September 2007. Standard Life should have received the disc by 27 September but reported that it had not arrived. The courier confirmed to HMRC that the CD was lost on 15 October. A submission on the incident was sent to the Financial Secretary on the same day.
	HMRC then informed the Information Commissioner and wrote, with Standard Life, to all customers affected.

Departmental Internet

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the Office of Government Commerce measures the cost effectiveness of departmental websites and online services.

Angela Eagle: OGC monitors the effectiveness of its own website and online activities through regular review and analysis of usage statistics, which informs OGC's ongoing activity in this area. OGC does not have responsibility for monitoring the cost-effectiveness of other Departments' websites or online services.
	The Central Office of Information is leading work to standardise the collection of audited figures for departmental website usage. This is to be followed by a second phase of work to standardise the way in which website costs are calculated. Taken together, these two pieces of work will enable departments to assess the cost effectiveness of websites and online services for which they are responsible.

Departmental Surveys

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the results of this year's HM Treasury staff survey will be published; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library.

Angela Eagle: We can confirm that the results from the 2007-08 HM Treasury's staff survey will be published on its website in due course.

Departmental Telephone Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was generated by each  (a) 0845 and  (b) 0870 telephone code used for customer enquiry lines by his Department's agencies in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The UK Debt Management Office (DMO), HM Treasury's only agency, has generated no revenue from the operation of 0845 or 0870 telephone codes in the last five years. The DMO uses some 0845 telephone numbers but not for income generation purposes.

Tax Allowances: Voluntary Organisations

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact which the 10,000 mile 40 pence a mile tax ceiling for volunteer car drivers has on the voluntary sector.

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor keeps the statutory tax free mileage allowance rates for employees under review and considers changes and their impact on all drivers in the context of the Budget and pre-Budget report statements.
	As I explained on 12 November 2007 in my reply to my hon. Friend's earlier question on this subject, there is no upper ceiling on mileage payments for volunteer car drivers. HMRC allows volunteers to use the approved mileage allowance payment (AMAP) rate for convenience, but it is not mandatory and volunteer drivers can claim tax relief for the full cost of motoring by completing a return, if they wish to do so.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Cemeteries

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date the Health and Safety Executive last provided guidance to local authorities on health and safety with regards to gravestones and memorials.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive has provided advice and guidance on health and safety with regards to gravestones and memorials in a number of forms over the years. The last was on 8 March 2007 when Sir Bill Callaghan, former chair of the Health and Safety Commission, was co-signatory to a letter to all chief executives of District and London borough councils and Unitary Authorities, Clerks of Town and Parish Councils and Clerks of Joint Burial Authorities. The purpose of this letter was to remind authorities of the duties they have to manage the risks associated with unstable memorials, but in doing so, to adopt a proportionate approach which reflects the actual risk.

Child Support Agency: Dismissal

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who worked for the Child Support Agency have been fired for gross incompetence since the agency was established.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 20 February 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who worked for the Child Support Agency have been fired for gross incompetence since the agency was established.
	The Department introduced a new personnel computer system incrementally from November 2006, being fully implemented by April 2007. The information provided in the table below reflects data recorded on that system for the number of staff dismissed because of their attendance record on grounds of sickness and gross misconduct. Information is not available from this system prior to April 2007. The Department has never used a category of gross incompetence although it does have one that would relate to unsatisfactory work. However, there are no recorded dismissals in this latter category since the new system was introduced.
	
		
			  Dismissal reason  April 2007 to December 2007 
			 Gross misconduct 6 
			 Unsatisfactory attendance 103 
			 Total 109 
		
	
	There were 10,010 people employed by the Agency as at the end of December 2007. I hope you find this answer helpful.

Child Support Agency: Repayments

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the constituent of the hon. Member for Eccles (CSA Ref. 321022527924) will receive the refund and consolatory payment which the hon. Member was informed would be paid by 14 December 2007; and whether the level of consolatory payment will acknowledge the continuing delay in progressing the case.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 20 February 2008:
	In reply to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and pensions when the constituent of the hon. Member for Eccles (CSA Ref. 312022527924) will receive the refund and consolatory payment which the hon. Member was informed would be paid by 14 December 2007; and whether the level of consolatory payment will acknowledge the continuing delay in progressing the case.
	As details about individual cases are confidential I have written to you separately about this case.
	I hope you find the answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what plans he has to strengthen the obligation on absent parents to notify the Child Support Agency of a change of circumstances including a salary increase;
	(2)  what obligation exists on absent parents to notify the Child Support Agency of a change of circumstances including a salary increase.

James Plaskitt: At present there is no obligation for a non-resident parent to notify the Secretary of State of a change of circumstances unless a Deduction from Earnings Order (DEO) is in place. In these cases the non-resident parent is required to notify the Secretary of State if there has been a change of their employer. We are considering changes that would require the non-resident parent in those circumstances also to inform the Secretary of State of any new employer and salary details.
	For the future scheme, we intend largely to base the assessment process for statutory child maintenance arrangements on the latest available gross income data from HM Revenue and Custom (HMRC) with annual reviews to keep maintenance liabilities up-to-date. Either parent will be able to ask for maintenance to be adjusted if the non-resident parent's income has increased or decreased by 25 per cent. or more compared to the HMRC figure on which the assessment is based. There are no plans to require non-resident parents to report changes in salary other than where there is a DEO in force.
	However, subject to parliamentary approval of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, non-resident parents will in future be required to notify the Commission of a change of address. The Commission will not need to make a specific request to the non-resident parent for this information—the requirement will be ongoing. Failure to co-operate will be an offence, punishable upon summary conviction by a fine of up to £1,000.

Children: Poverty

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact on child poverty of the requirement placed on lone parents to meet child care and travel costs in full under the jobseeker's allowance regime to be introduced for lone parents whose youngest child is 12 years of age.

Stephen Timms: There has been no specific assessment of the requirement placed on lone parents to meet child care and travel costs in full under the jobseeker's allowance regime. A full impact assessment of the changes, including impacts on child poverty, announced in Ready for Work was published in "Ready for work: full employment in our generation—impact assessment" in December 2007 which is in the Library.
	However, lone parents who have genuine reasons, or good cause, for not complying with their obligations to look for, or take up, work will not be penalised. Good cause could include a variety of reasons depending on the circumstances of the individual. For example, problems with child care, illness of themselves or their children or their child care support, transport difficulties, unforeseen family circumstances, domestic violence or relationship breakdown could all be considered as a good cause. However, this will not be a general 'opt-out' for those who would prefer to be on benefits.

Community Care Grants: Homelessness

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the mode length of time in respect of each  (a) benefit delivery centre and  (b) other processing site, for the processing of Social Fund community care grant applications to the (i) initial decision, (ii) internal review, (iii) application and (iv) final decision stage was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 24 January 2008
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 20 February 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about what the mode length of time was for each benefit delivery centre and processing site for the processing of Social Fund Community Care Grant applications to the initial decision, internal review, application and final decision stage in the most recent period for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Information is available only for initial decisions.
	The most common clearance times (mode) for Community Care Grant applications in November 2007 are given in the table.
	
		
			  Social Fund benefit delivery centre by region  Most common (modal) length of time for clearing Community Care Grant applications in November 2007 (working days) 
			 East of England  
			 Essex Not available 
			 Norwich BDC 1 
			   
			 East Midlands  
			 East Midlands North 7 
			 South East Midlands 7 
			   
			 London  
			 Balham(1) 10 and 11 
			 Ilford 5 
			   
			 North East  
			 Northumbria 6 
			 South Tyneside and Wear Valley 2 
			 Tees Valley 5 
			   
			 North West  
			 Greater Liverpool 10 
			 Chorlton BDC 8 
			   
			 Scotland  
			 Inverness BDC 11 
			 Springburn BDC 12 
			   
			 South East  
			 Milton Keynes BDC 25 
			   
			 South West  
			 South West Central 6 
			   
			 Wales  
			 Llanelli BDC 14 
			 South East Wales 8 
			   
			 West Midlands  
			 West Midlands SF 5 
			   
			 Yorkshire and Humberside  
			 Y and H Bradford(1) 3 and 4 
			 Y and H Sheffield 2 
			 (1) The two figures given are the most common clearance times (the same number of Community Care Grant applications were cleared in each number of working days).  Notes: 1. Insufficient data are available for Essex for Community Care Grants. This is because of a limitation of the Management Information System. 2. Numbers are based on applications cleared in November 2007, not on applications received during that month.  Key: BDC = Benefit Delivery Centre SF = Social Fund Y and H = Yorkshire and Humberside  Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System

Departmental Freedom of Information

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Freedom of Information requests his Department has received in each year since 2005; and how many of those requests have been refused.

Anne McGuire: The Government have published two annual reports that contain statistical information about how many requests have been received by monitored bodies (including central Government Departments) and how many have been refused.
	These reports can be found at the following address:
	http://www.foi.gov.uk/reference/statisticsAndReports.htm
	Data are currently being collated across monitored bodies in order to produce the 2007 Annual report and Q4 Monitoring report, however, Q1-Q3 Monitoring reports of 2007 can be found at the following address:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformationquarterly.htm

Employment Schemes: Lone Parents

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons payment of the £60 per week in-work credit for lone parents was deemed to be incompatible with the employment retention and advancement pilot operating in north east London.

Anne McGuire: The north east London district was one of the six Jobcentre Plus districts that participated in the Employment Retention and Advancement Demonstration project (ERA), which operated between October 2003 and November 2007.
	ERA was evaluated using a random assignment research method and customers in the six districts were allocated on a voluntary basis to either a group that received the ERA service, or to a control group that did not. The impact of the programme was determined by comparing the subsequent behaviour and outcomes of both groups. It was not possible to offer the in-work credit to customers in the districts participating in ERA until the programme was complete without invalidating the evaluation.
	Retention payments were a key component of the support offered to ERA customers, together with other financial and non-financial support. If customers had been eligible to receive the in-work credit payment in addition to ERA, it would not have been possible to identify which effects resulted from receiving ERA, and which resulted from receiving the IWC. This form of evaluation is dependent on the two groups being identical in every aspect other than receiving the programme being tested, so it was not possible to offer the IWC to the control group alone.
	The in-work credit was made available in the north east London district from January 2008.

Fair Trade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on the use of fair trade goods  (a) in staff catering facilities and  (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: In line with Government policy, the Department is committed to fair trade and ethical supply routes.
	The Department's Facilities Management partner, Land Securities Trillium (LST) provides in house catering services where premises allow. Ethical procurement practices are a key factor in the contract.
	Where practicable, LST purchases sustainable produce for sale on departmental premises. Fair trade tea and coffee is standard for official receptions and meetings.
	LST is actively working with the Fairtrade Foundation to develop its fair trade product offer and support the marketing of fairtrade products.

Gases: Industrial Health and Safety

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the Health and Safety Executive records the names of those killed by  (a) carbon monoxide and  (b) other gas poisoning.

Anne McGuire: This information arises from data on gas related carbon monoxide poisoning incidents collected by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995, which contribute to HSE's published annual statistics. The use of names prevents double counting where information on the same incident is inadvertently provided from two sources.

Industrial Health and Safety: Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 435W, on industrial health and safety: influenza, what obligations there would be on employers under health and safety legislation in the event of an influenza pandemic.

Anne McGuire: In any such event, employers will continue to have the obligations required of them under health and safety legislation.

Jobcentre Plus

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact on Jobcentre Plus staff resources of the introduction of  (a) employment and support allowance and  (b) the jobseeker's allowance regime for lone parents whose youngest child is 12 years of age.

Stephen Timms: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 20 February 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what assessment he has made of the impact on Jobcentre Plus staff resources of the introduction of (a) Employment and Support Allowance and (b) the Jobseeker's Allowance regime for lone parents whose youngest child is 12 years of age. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The resource requirements for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) have been assessed in order to inform post filling and learning and development plans. Based on this assessment of the net effect of replacing existing processes with ESA processes, there will be no need for an increase in staff resource. Following implementation the impact on resource will be evaluated further.
	The introduction of the Jobseeker's Allowance regime for lone parents whose youngest child is 12 will involve some very minor changes in the total resource required to deal with this group. These will be taken into account, alongside other business changes, in the overall resource planning for 2008/09.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus: Chard

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what discussions were held with Somerset county council before the announcement of the closure of Chard Jobcentre; if he will publish all the responses to the consultation on the future of Chard Jobcentre; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what meetings his officials held with representatives of Somerset county council on Chard Jobcentre before its closure was announced; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 20 February 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what discussions were held, and what meetings his officials have had, with Somerset county council before the announcement of the closure of Chard Jobcentre Plus, and if he will publish all responses to the consultation on the future of Chard Jobcentre Plus. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	There have been no formal meetings on this issue with the county council prior to the closure announcement.
	The District Manager for Dorset and Somerset wrote to Somerset county council on 17 May 2007 regarding the proposed changes to the Jobcentre Plus network in Dorset and Somerset. The letter invited comments on the proposal.
	The District Manager received no direct response from the county council. However, on 28 June 2007 the council wrote to the Personal Adviser Manager, Yeovil Jobcentre Plus, expressing their opposition to the proposed closure of both Burnham-on-Sea and Chard Jobcentre Plus offices.
	In their letter the county council did not request a meeting for discussions and did not include any proposals. Their letter was included in the submission to the Minister.
	During the consultation period, the Somerset Jobcentre Plus Partnership Manager, attended a number of meetings also attended by Somerset county council, where the issue was raised on an ad hoc basis. No formal discussions have taken place and the Partnership Manager encouraged comments to be made formally, so they were contained in the submission to the Minister.
	During a local area agreement meeting on 15 January 2008, Somerset county council stated if the outcome of the review was to close Chard Jobcentre Plus Office they would give consideration to working with Jobcentre Plus to promote flexible service delivery. Nothing formal has been received from Somerset county council.
	The District Manager wrote again on 17 January 2008 informing the county council of the decision to close the Chard office and deliver our services from our larger Taunton site. This included an invitation to the county council to provide any other solutions following the closure of the Chard office.
	We are currently working with partner organisations to establish flexible service delivery in the form of a job point and customer access phone in Chard town, as well as an appointment led work focused advisory service on a demand led basis. We will continue to promote the use of e-channels to access Jobcentre Plus services. The Jobcentre Plus Partnership Manager is planning to meet with the county council shortly.
	I have attached a copy of all the responses received in the consultation on the future of the Chard Jobcentre Plus office copies will be placed in the House of Commons Library. I have deleted the names and address of the correspondents in accordance with data protection guidelines.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Appeals

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applicants for jobseeker's allowance have received payments reduced by 20 per cent. while undertaking appeals; and if he will estimate the effect on the public purse of these reductions.

James Plaskitt: Where a person claims jobseeker's allowance (JSA) while they have an ongoing appeal against the removal of incapacity benefit, JSA is paid at the full personal allowance rate, no benefit penalty is applied, but they will not receive any disability premiums unless they qualify for them on alternative grounds.
	If they claim income support while they have an ongoing appeal against the removal of incapacity benefit, a 20 per cent. benefit penalty is applied to the personal allowance.
	If on appeal the decision is overturned, benefit will be restored in full from the appropriate date.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Lone Parents

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact on lone parent families of the sanctioning and hardship regime applicable to jobseeker's allowance claimants.

Stephen Timms: There are already a number of lone parents claiming jobseeker's allowance (JSA) rather than income support who are able to meet the conditions for receipt of JSA and make use of the help available to get back to work.
	We believe the JSA framework is sufficiently flexible to ensure that sanctions will only apply where absolutely necessary and we will ensure that Jobcentre Plus advisers use that flexibility to support lone parents as they make the transition to JSA.
	At the start of their claim, lone parents will establish a jobseeker's agreement setting out what they will do to get work tailored to their circumstances. Any restrictions agreed between the jobseeker and their adviser on availability and actively seeking work will be included in the jobseeker's agreement. Advisers will also ensure claimants are treated sympathetically when they experience difficult circumstances, for example, lone parents who claim benefit for the first time because of a break-up of a relationship or bereavement.
	In "Ready for work: full employment in our generation" we announced that we would amend regulations to increase Jobcentre Plus adviser discretion so that a lone parent who is claiming jobseeker's allowance will not be penalised if they leave a job, or fail to take up a job, because appropriate affordable child care is not available. We will also ensure that at least one attempt is made to contact all parents by telephone it they do not attend their fortnightly jobsearch review. If contact is not made by the customer, a letter will be sent to their home address telling them that if they do not contact Jobcentre Plus within five working days their entitlement to benefit will end or a sanction will be imposed.
	We are currently reviewing the hardship regime as it applies to parents in receipt of JSA to ensure that it is appropriate for them and supports the Government's objectives to reduce child poverty.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer the letter to his predecessor dated 21 December 2007, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms N. Mubarak.

Anne McGuire: I can confirm that a response to this letter was issued my right hon. Friend on 5 February 2008.

National Insurance: Bedfordshire

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new national insurance numbers have been issued to people in  (a) Bedfordshire and  (b) South West Bedfordshire constituency in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 1 February 2008
	Information on the total number of new national insurance numbers issued is not available at the levels requested.

North East

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent civil servants were employed by his Department in  (a) Sunderland,  (b) Tyne and Wear and  (c) the North East region in each year since 2000.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 bringing together the former Department of Social Security and Employment Service. Information on the number of full-time equivalent Civil Servants employed by the Department in  (a) Sunderland  (b) Tyne and Wear and  (c) the North East region at 31 March each year following its formation is in the following table. The figures are also included as at 31 December 2007, the latest available.
	
		
			   Sunderland  Tyne and Wear  North East Region 
			 31 March 2002 585 11,018 14,051 
			 31 March 2003 604 11,586 14,928 
			 31 March 2004 585 10,239 13,671 
			 31 March 2005 549 9,515 12,722 
			 31 March 2006 533 9,146 12,275 
			 31 March 2007 607 n/a 11,566 
			 31 December 2007 658 n/a 11,314 
			 n/a = not available Figures have been rounded to nearest whole number

Pensioners: Personal Income

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in  (a) Milton Keynes and  (b) England and Wales receive an income of £217.80 per week or less.

James Plaskitt: This Government's policies have been highly effective in tackling pensioner poverty.
	Between 1996-97 and 2005-06 the proportion of pensioners in relative income poverty has fallen by over a third, with over one million older people being lifted out of relative income poverty.
	Relative income poverty is measured as household income net of taxes and housing costs below 60 per cent. contemporary median income. In 2005-06 this stood at the equivalent of £108 for a single pensioner. This is a widely recognised, longstanding definition used for understanding low income pensioners.
	Between 1996-97 and 2005-06 the proportion of pensioners living in absolute income poverty has fallen by around three quarters, with more than 2 million older people lifted out of absolute poverty. Absolute income poverty is measured as household income net of taxes and housing costs below 60 per cent. contemporary median income in 1998-99. In 2005-06 this stood at the equivalent of £88 per week for a single pensioner. This is also a widely recognised, longstanding definition used for understanding low income pensioners.
	£217.80 is not an appropriate benchmark to indicate the numbers of pensioners living in low income poverty.
	The following table shows the number of pensioner units with income below £217.80 (deflated to the respective year's prices) based on both gross income and net income (before taking into account housing costs).
	The number of pensioners receiving an income of £217.80 per week or less in Milton Keynes is not available. The closest available information is for pensioner units in the south east region, based on combining three year's data from 2003-04 to 2005-06.
	
		
			  Pensioner units with income below £217.80 (deflated to respective year's prices), averaged over the years 2003-04 to 2005-06 
			   Gross income  Net income 
			 South East 300,000 400,000 
			 England and Wales 2,400,000 3,000,000 
			  Notes:  1. Gross income is income from all sources received by the pensioner unit, including income from social security benefits, earnings from employment, any private pension, and tax credits.  2. Net income before housing costs is gross income less income tax payments, national insurance contributions, contributions to occupational and private pension schemes, local taxes, maintenance and child support payments, and parental contributions to children living away from home.  3. Based on survey data and as such subject to a degree of sampling and non sampling error.  4. All figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000.  5. Due to the small sample sizes involved, three year's data have been combined and the threshold has been deflated to the appropriate year's prices.  6. A pensioner unit is either a single person over pension age or a couple in which at least one person is over pension age. 
		
	
	For reference, on average over the three year period there were 1,100,000 pensioner units in the south east and 7,100,000 in England and Wales.

Social Security Benefits

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many backdating claims on the grounds of good cause were awarded for periods longer than three months for  (a) housing benefit,  (b) council tax benefit and  (c) pension credit in each of the last five years, broken down by region; what proportion of total claims for each benefit they represented in each year; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the  (a) total cost to his Department and  (b) average payment to claimants was of backdating claims on grounds of good cause that were awarded for periods longer than three months for (i) housing benefit, (ii) council tax benefit and (iii) pension credit in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.
	Pension credit does not use a good cause rule when determining if a person was eligible from an earlier point in time to the date of claim.
	Prior to April 2007, no information was collected from local authorities on the amount of backdating paid out to housing benefit and council tax benefit claimants.
	Following the introduction of a new data source this information will become available in the future. However, currently there is insufficient data to be able to estimate the amount spent on backdating.

Social Security Benefits: Employment

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the better off in work credit to be piloted by Jobcentre Plus is planned to take account of the cost of school meals in determining whether a claimant is better off in work.

Stephen Timms: The introduction of our new better off in work credit (BWC) will allow us to assure qualifying customers that if they move into full-time employment their income from work, including in-work benefits, will be at least £25 a week more than the income they received from out of work benefits.
	No additional costs incurred by the movement into work, including the cost of school meals, will be taken into account in calculating whether a customer qualifies for the BWC.

Social Security Benefits: Marriage

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants received benefits for more than one wife in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The information is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Polygamy

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what reviews he has conducted of the payment of benefits to claimants in polygamous marriages; what guidelines have been issued in respect of payment of benefits and polygamous marriage; what benefits are payable; what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of individuals affected and  (b) the cost of payments; what consultations have been carried out, including consultations with other Government departments; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The current rules for paying benefits to people in polygamous marriages have been in place since 1988. In November 2006 we asked officials to look at the social security benefit rules in place for the treatment of valid polygamous marriages and consider whether any changes were needed. As part of that process the Department consulted other Departments with an interest, such as the Home Office, Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs and the then Department for Constitutional Affairs. The conclusion was that the current arrangements were the best possible.
	Contributory benefits are generally not payable where the claimant has more than one spouse. In the income related benefits, subject to entitlement conditions being met, the claimant is entitled to receive the couple rate of benefit for themselves and one spouse, and the difference between the couple and single rate for each additional spouse.
	In Great Britain, polygamy is only recognised as valid in law in circumstances where the marriage ceremony has been performed in a country whose laws permit polygamy and the parties to the marriage were domiciled there at the time. In addition, immigration rules have generally prevented the formation of polygamous households in this country since 1988.
	We do not collect data on the number of people in a valid polygamous marriage claiming a social security benefit. Information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Winter Fuel Payments: North West Region

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the winter fuel allowance in light of increasing fuel prices; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 24 January 2008
	Fuel prices rise and fall in response to market conditions. Between 1996-97 and 2005-06 pensioners' incomes increased by 29 per cent. in real terms, compared with a 15 per cent. real terms increase in utility bills between 1996-97 and 2006.
	The winter fuel payment is worth £200 for households with someone aged 60 to 79 and £300 for households with someone aged 80 or over. Winter fuel bills account for around 60 per cent. of the annual fuel bill. The winter fuel payment provides a significant contribution towards the higher cost of winter heating bills covering around half of the average older person's winter fuel bill.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Dentistry: Training

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the average number of hours of clinical training received by dental students was in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: Since 1990 dental students have been required to undertake four years clinical training each comprising a minimum of 46 weeks per annum. Information on the hours of training that the students received is not held centrally.

Departmental Publicity

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the cost has been of re-branding his Department following the change in name from the Department for Education and Skills.

David Lammy: holding answer 12 November 2007
	We have used the in-house expertise of our Executive agency the Intellectual Property Office for advice on creating a visual identity for DIUS as a new Department. Where necessary (for specific design work) they have used a specialist agency already on their roster, the cost of which was £12,041 excluding VAT.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

David Lammy: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the ministerial code.

English Language

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department has spent on English language classes for staff in the last year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The Department does not provide or fund English language classes for staff.
	The Department has signed and is committed to the Government Skills Pledge to encourage and support all staff to achieve at least a full level 2 qualification. Some element of this support may in a few cases include supporting the attainment of basic literacy. This is provided via local colleges and incurs no direct cost to the Department.

Erasmus

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which UK universities  (a) have bid for and  (b) hold Erasmus University Charters.

Bill Rammell: All UK universities, except the University of Buckingham, Edge Hill University and the University of Northampton, possess an Erasmus University Charter. The University of Buckingham and the University of Northampton have now applied to the European Commission for a Charter.

Higher Education: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what guidance his Department has issued to higher education institutions on keeping places available for those students waiting for their A-level papers to be re-marked.

Bill Rammell: Admissions are a matter for individual higher education institutions (HEIs) who, as independent bodies, have discretion over their own admission policies and procedures. The Department does not therefore issue guidance in this area.
	The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) have told us that HEIs which are members of the UCAS scheme will keep a place open for an applicant, in the event of a missing or queried exam result, up to 31 August unless an earlier date has been agreed.
	Latest published figures on the number of inquiries about results and appeals are available on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority website at: http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_10312.aspx The Department does not collect information on the number of HE admissions affected by those inquiries and appeals.

Higher Education: Admissions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what guidance he has issued on inclusion of information about the university experience of their parents by applicants to universities.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 11 December 2007
	The inclusion of an optional question relating to parental education on the UCAS application form was the result of a decision taken by the UCAS Board, which the Government do not sit on. That decision followed the independent Schwartz review of fair admissions to higher education, which found that it was fair and appropriate to consider contextual factors as well as formal educational achievement, given the variation in learners' opportunities and circumstances. We fully support the move to provide more contextual information to admissions officers and believe such information may help HEIs monitor the effectiveness of their widening participation initiatives. The Government have not issued any guidance on this matter.

Higher Education: Vocational Guidance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of changes made by universities in their provision of careers guidance following Sir Martin Harris's review in 2001.

Bill Rammell: The primary responsibility for implementing the recommendations of the Harris Report lies with the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services. However the Government take a keen interest in this area and in the progress made. I was pleased to note that a recent survey(1) found that three and a half years after graduation 85 per cent. of respondents reported being satisfied with their career to date.
	(1) The first longitudinal Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey (DLHE) (published November 2007)

Members: Correspondence

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he expects to reply to the letter of 27 September from the hon. Member for Beaconsfield.

Bill Rammell: I replied to the hon. Member's letter of 27 September on 23 October.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 26 November 2007 on a constituent.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 14 January 2008
	I replied to my hon. Friend's letter of 26 November on 11 January.

New Local Government Network: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what payments have the  (a) Learning and Skills Council and  (b) Learning Skills network made to the New Local Government Network in the last 24 months.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council has contracted for payments of £56,417 to the New Local Government Network within the last 24 months.
	The Learning and Skills Network is an independent not-for-profit organisation. Information on the payments that it makes is not held centrally.

Science: Admissions

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students were admitted to a UK university to study an undergraduate course in  (a) physics,  (b) chemistry,  (c) biology,  (d) engineering and  (e) computer science in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information for students entering full and part-time courses is given in the first two tables. Figures for 2006/07 will be available in January 2008.
	A new classification for recording subject of study was introduced in 2002/03 and so figures from 2002/03 onwards are not comparable to earlier years.
	Recent figures for students obtaining places on full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS are shown in the third table.
	
		
			  Undergraduate  e ntrants by  s ubject of  s tudy—UK Higher Education Institutions ( 1) —academic years 1996/97 to 2001/02 
			   Subject of study 
			  Academic year  Physics  Chemistry  Biology  Engineering( 2)  Computer Science 
			 1996/97 3,375 5,750 7,250 37,220 27,245 
			 1997/98 3,535 5,775 7,190 37,810 29,220 
			 1998/99 3,340 5,540 6,960 36,250 32,145 
			 1999/2000 3,075 4,890 6,530 34,985 34,255 
			 2000/01 2,845 4,260 6,315 34,390 38,570 
			 2001/02 2,835 4,145 6,180 35,175 40,975 
			 (1) Students from the Open University are excluded from the analysis. (2) Engineering includes—General Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Naval Architecture, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Production and Manufacture Engineering, Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering, Others in Engineering and Balanced Combinations.  Notes:  Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December excluding those writing up, on sabbatical or dormant. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record. 
		
	
	
		
			  Undergraduate  e ntrants by  s ubject of  s tudy—UK Higher Education Institutions( 1) —Academic years 2002/03 to 2005/06 
			   Subject of  s tudy 
			  Academic year  Physics  Chemistry  Biology  Engineering ( 2)  Computer Science 
			 2002/03 3,140 4,710 6,985 32,765 34,600 
			 2003/04 3,210 4,480 7,415 31,465 27,600 
			 2004/05 3,105 4,205 7,455 32,235 22,335 
			 2005/06 3,210 4,440 7,905 31,940 21,675 
			 (1) Students from the Open University are excluded from the analysis. (2) Engineering includes—General Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Naval Architecture, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Production and Manufacture Engineering, Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering, Others in Engineering and Balanced Combinations.  Notes:  Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December excluding those writing up, on sabbatical or dormant. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record. 
		
	
	
		
			  Accepted applicants to full-time undergraduate courses—year of entry 2005 to 2007 
			   Year of entry ( 1) 
			  Subject  2005  2006  2007 
			 Physics 2,933 2,919 3,219 
			 Chemistry 3,463 3,581 3,895 
			 Biology 4,900 4,288 4,429 
			 Engineering 21,405 19,889 20,713 
			 Computer Science 10,753 9,936 9,905 
			 (1) Figures as at October 17 in each year.  Source: UCAS

Student Wastage

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the drop-out rate amongst students in England studying for a first degree was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The performance indicators in higher education, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), include an indicator of projected non-completion. The proportion of UK-domiciled entrants to full-time first degree courses at English higher education institutions, who were projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another institution, was 13.8 per cent. in 2004/05. This is the latest available figure and is the lowest value this indicator has taken since the performance indicators were introduced.
	The 2005/06 figure will become available in 2008.
	According to figures published by the OECD, the overall completion rate for Type A (first degree equivalent) courses in UK universities and colleges of higher education is amongst the highest in the OECD countries.

Students: Autism

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans he has to assist young people with autism and Asperger's syndrome to gain access to higher education.

Bill Rammell: The Government provide support for disabled people applying to higher education (HE) and while they are in HE, this will include young people who are on the autistic spectrum. The Aimhigher Programme, for which the Government have recently announced a continuation of funding for a further three years, provides outreach activities aimed at increasing participation among under-represented groups, including disabled people.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) provides funding to institutions to support disabled students through the mainstream disability funding stream—£12.9 million in 2006/07. We also provide funding directly to students through disabled students' allowances (DSAs), which can help to remove the obstacles that prevent disabled students and students with specific learning difficulties from entering and completing higher education courses. In 2005/06, we provided approximately £78.8 million to 35,600 students. In July 2007, we announced that from 2008/09 the maximum amounts of the non-medical helpers' allowance (for undergraduates) and the postgraduate allowance will be increased by around 60 per cent.
	These increases will mean that:
	The maximum amount of the DSA for non-medical helpers will increase from £12,420 in 2007/08 to £20,000 in 2008/09 for full-time students and from £9,315 in 2007/08 to £15,000 in 2008/09 for part-time students.
	The maximum amount of the DSA for postgraduate students will increase from £5,915 in 2007/08 to £10,000 in 2008/09
	DSAs are provided to students in addition to the standard student support package. They are not means tested and also do not have to be repaid.

Students: Science

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Government has taken to increase the numbers of students studying science based degrees.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 15 November 2007
	The Government's policy is to increase the number of people leaving schools and colleges with the appropriate qualifications to enable them to take a science-based degree. This includes Government support for activities that help enthuse young people about science and scientific careers. For example the Department funds the Science and Engineering Ambassadors scheme, run by STEMNET, through which individuals work with teachers in schools and colleges.
	There are some encouraging signs that the Government's overall policy is starting to work. According to the most recent UCAS figures for 2007 entry published on 17 October 2007, there have been increases in acceptances for first degrees at UK universities as follows: physics (+10.3 per cent.), chemistry (+8.8 per cent.), biology (+3.3 per cent.), maths (+9.2 per cent.); combined maths/ computer science (+16.5 per cent.); combined medical/biological/agricultural sciences (+10.0 per cent.); chemical engineering (+12.3 per cent.), civil engineering (+9.9 per cent.) and mechanical engineering (+4.3 per cent.). These figures include EU and international students.

University Lecturers: Women

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Government has taken to recruit more women as university lecturers since 1997.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 15 November 2007
	The responsibility for recruiting staff lies with higher education institutions (HEIs), as the employers. However, we have instituted a number of measures to support higher education institutions (HEIs) in this area. Through the Rewarding and Developing Staff initiative, we have supported HEIs in developing their human resource capability—recruitment and retention, and equal opportunities were two of the six priority areas.
	We launched the Athena SWAN Charter in 2005 to address the low representation of women within science, engineering and technology (SET) in HEIs. The charter is funded by the Equality Challenge Unit (which is responsible for supporting HEIs to help them improve their equality practice) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills through the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (UKRC). The charter encourages universities and research institutions in the recruitment, retention and progression of women lecturers and researchers within SET. 26 universities have signed up to the charter and this year saw the first gold award made—to the chemistry department, university of York—to recognise that institution's high achievements in this area.
	There has been a rising trend in the number of women academics working in higher education. In 2005/06, 41.9 per cent. of academics in UK HE institutions were female, compared to 32.9 per cent. in 1996/97.

Teachers: Science

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what funding is available for qualified secondary school teachers to study undergraduate courses in  (a) chemistry,  (b) physics,  (c) biology and  (d) mathematics; and how many people (i) applied for and (ii) received such funding in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: There will be more opportunities for qualified secondary school teachers in higher education as a result of the 2 per cent. a year real terms increase in funding for HE over the next three years. While we will be progressively redistributing about £100 million of institutional funding away from those studying second degrees and other HE qualifications at an equivalent or lower level in order to support more first time entrants to HE, subjects like chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics will continue to attract institutional funding when taken as a second undergraduate degree. This will allow Universities and Colleges to continue charging home fee rates for these subjects.
	Qualified secondary school teachers who hold an honours degree are not eligible for fee and living costs support under the Student Support Regulations for a second undergraduate degree in chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics. However, qualified secondary school teachers who do not hold an honours degree may be eligible for fee and living costs support for an undergraduate degree in these subjects. Information is not available on the numbers of qualified secondary school teachers applying for and receiving student support specifically for chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics undergraduate courses in each of the last five years.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Homicide

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of children who were killed at the hands of parents or carers in the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	Available data from the Homicide Index relate to offences currently recorded as homicides in England and Wales as at 12 November 2007, and the requested information was published in 'Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2006/07' (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 03/08, page 14 and table 1.04).
	During 2006-07 there were 33 homicides recorded where the victim was aged under 16 and the relationship to the principal suspect was 'son/daughter' (which includes step- and adoptive-children, and children of the suspect's cohabitant or lover). Cases with a relationship category of 'carer' cannot be identified.

Class Sizes

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children of  (a) five,  (b) six and  (c) seven years of age were taught in classes of more than 30 children in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2007.

Jim Knight: The available information covers pupils at key stage 1 and is given in the table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of key stage 1 pupils in classes of 31 or more taught by one teacher at maintained primary schools in England 
			   1997  2007 
			 Number of pupils 476,820 23,210 
			 Percentage of all pupils 29.0 1.7 
			  Source: School Census

Departmental Responsibilities

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects the Implementation Review Unit to report on the work of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Implementation Review Unit issue an Annual Report each year and have done so since they were established in 2003. Their most recent report, for 2007, can be found on their website at:
	www.iru.org.uk

Education: Families

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to encourage schools to provide more opportunities for family learning.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 19 November 2007
	Family learning programmes strengthen families, promote community cohesion and support our commitment to embedding a culture of learning across all levels of society. The wide-ranging consultation on Informal Adult Learning announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, on 15 January, will help ensure that these popular and high quality programmes can be further developed and strengthened to meet the needs of the whole community.
	We are working with colleagues in the Department for Children, Schools and Families to enable more adults and children to access extended schools facilities. Schools provide language, literacy and numeracy support as well as other activities that can help engage adults in learning, especially those from marginalised communities and others who need particular help in taking a first step on the progression ladder.
	It is for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to encourage schools to provide more opportunities for family learning, and parents, carers and other adults will benefit from those facilities being made more widely available. The Children's Plan published in December 2007 committed an additional £30 million over the next three years to provide more family learning.

Faith Schools: Islam

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families regarding how many Muslim schools OFSTED has raised concerns with his Department in the last five years.

Edward Balls: Maintained and independent schools, including those designated as Muslim schools, are inspected by OFSTED on a regular basis. There are currently nine Muslim schools open in the maintained sector. Since 2005, when the-three year cycle of inspections was introduced, six have been inspected and all judged by OFSTED to be satisfactory or better in terms of their overall effectiveness. The other three were opened since September 2006 and will be inspected, as usual, in the second year of operation. In the independent sector there are 115 Muslim schools of which 83 have been inspected since 2003, with inspections at a further 18 schools scheduled this school term. The remaining schools were all opened since September 2003 and were inspected against independent schools standards before opening and will be inspected again in due course, as part of the three-year cycle of inspections which OFSTED will commence in the summer term. Inspection reports, which are published on OFSTED's website, provide an overview of provision in all inspected schools, detail of whether or not the statutory standards for independent schools are met where appropriate and include recommendations for improvement.
	On one occasion OFSTED referred a specific concern raised with it about a Muslim school to the Department. The case was investigated and found to have no substance.

Faith Schools: Islam

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what arrangements are in place for the inspection of independent Muslim schools.

Edward Balls: All independent Muslim schools are currently inspected by OFSTED against standards set out in the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003, as amended. These cover the quality of the curriculum and teaching; the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils; and their health, safety and welfare. Reports of independent school inspections are published on the OFSTED website.
	The Bridge Schools' Inspectorate (BSI) has recently been approved in principle to undertake inspection of around 110 independent schools affiliated to the Christian Schools Trust (CST) and the Association of Muslim Schools UK (AMSUK). BSI inspections will assess schools against the same statutory criteria as OFSTED and its inspectors will also assess the religious ethos of CST and AMSUK schools. Any inspection work BSI carries out will be monitored by OFSTED, which will produce a published annual report on its performance.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what percentage of children in schools of fewer than 500 pupils gained five A* to C GCSE grades in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what percentage of children in schools of between 500 and 999 pupils gained five A* to C GCSE grades in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what percentage of children in schools of fewer than 1,000 pupils gained five A* to C GCSE grades in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(4)  what percentage of children gained five A* - C GCSE grades in schools that had (a) up to 1,000, (b) between 1,000 and 1,999 and (c) over 2,000 pupils in 2006-07

Jim Knight: The following table provides data on the percentage of pupils achieving five A* to C at GSCE for schools:
	 (a) With fewer than 500 pupils
	 (b) Between 500 and 999 pupils
	 (c) With 1,000 or more pupils
	 (d) With fewer than 1,000 pupils
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils achieving 5A*-C in GCSE and Equivalents in 2007 
			  Number of pupils( 1)  Number of schools  Percentage of 5A*-C 
			 Fewer than 500 158 49.4 
			 500 to 999 1,391 57.1 
			 1,000 or more fewer than 1,000 1,563 63.8 
			 All Schools(2) 3,112 61.0 
			 (1). Number of day pupils on roll.  (2). Includes Maintained Mainstream schools, CTCs and Academies.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of children in Nottingham left school with five A*-C grade GCSEs in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of 15-year-old pupils achieving 5 A*-C grades, 1997, 1998 and 2007 
			   1997 ( 1) 1998  2007 
			 England(2) 45.1 46.3 60.8 
			 Nottinghamshire Local Authority (1997) 37.6 n/a n/a 
			 Nottingham City Local Authority (1998-) n/a 26.2 53.2 
			 Nottinghamshire Local Authority (1998-) n/a 42.3 54.6 
			 n/a = not available (1) Due to local government reorganisations, figures have also been given for 1998 to allow comparisons to be made to the latest year. (2) includes all schools, not only those in the maintained sector. 
		
	
	Figures are published annually in the Statistical First Release (SFR) 'GCSE and Equivalent Examination Results in England'. The latest figures, for 2007, are available at:
	http://www.dfes.qov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000768/index. shtml.

Home Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were home educated in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Primary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities have been asked to submit their primary school strategies for change before June; and what deadlines apply in each case.

Jim Knight: To date, the Department has not invited any authorities to submit primary strategies for change before the 16 June deadline.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children  (a) entitled and  (b) not entitled to free school meals obtained (i) five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C and (ii) five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C including English and mathematics in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Proportion of pupils achieving 5 A*-C grades at GCSE by free school meal status, 2002 to 2007( 1) 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  All pupils( 2) 
			 Number 591,391 576,084 591,774 584,259 594,417 600,968 
			 Percentage achieving 5 A*-C 49.0 50.7 51.9 54.9 56.9 59.3 
			 Percentage achieving 5 A*-C including English and Mathematics n/a n/a n/a 42.5 43.8 45.4 
			
			  Eligible for free school meals 
			 Number 80,626 81,278 82,738 79,839 78,179 76,641 
			 Percentage achieving 5 A*-C 23.0 24.4 26.1 29.9 32.6 35.5 
			 Percentage achieving 5 A*-C including English and Mathematics n/a n/a n/a 18.0 19.5 21.1 
			
			  Not eligible for free school meals 
			 Number 477,798 493,336 508,060 501,857 514,779 522,088 
			 Percentage achieving 5 A*-C 53.7 55.2 56.1 58.9 60.7 62.8 
			 Percentage achieving 5 A*-C including English and Mathematics n/a n/a n/a 46.4 47.5 49.0 
			 n/a = not available. (1) Figures for 2002 to 2004 are based upon pupils aged 15 whereas figures from 2005 onwards are based upon pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. (2) Includes pupils with unclassified Free School Meal status. 
		
	
	The percentage achieving 5 A*-C grades including English and Mathematics has only been published since 2005.
	Figures have been taken from the Statistical First Release 'National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England' which has been published annually by the Department since 2002. The latest figures, for 2007, are at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000759/index. shtml.
	Figures for earlier years are not available split by free school meal status as this was first collected at pupil level on the School Census in 2002.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to his Department's Green "Paper Raising Expectations", what he expects the additional expenditure per pupil to be on education after 2013.

Jim Knight: Per pupil expenditure figures for 2013 will not be available until the next spending review announcement. Total per pupil funding has more than doubled from under £2,500 in 1997-98 to £5,600 in 2007-08. The next three years will see per pupil funding rise by almost 20 per cent. in cash terms to over £6,600 by 2010-11.

Schools: Bureaucracy

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what targets his Department has set to reduce the burden of administration in schools; what progress his Department has made against those targets; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has not set any specific targets to reduce bureaucracy in schools. However, we have said in our 2007 Simplification Plan (published December 2007), that we will work towards the Government's target to reduce our administrative burdens by 25 per cent.

Schools: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what changes have been made to the capital programme for  (a) new schools and  (b) extensions to existing schools within Milton Keynes unitary authority area since 30 October 2007, broken down by (i) school and (ii) expected completion date.

Jim Knight: The Department allocates capital funding to local authorities and schools, and relies on them to prioritise how this should be spent. It expects local authorities and schools to prepare their own asset management plans which set out how resources from the Department, and other resources available locally, should be used. It does not maintain central records of changes made to Milton Keynes or other authorities' asset management plans.

Science

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to monitor the number of students regularly attending the 250 pilot science and engineering clubs;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to assess the impact of science and engineering clubs on pupil  (a) interest and  (b) achievement in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

Jim Knight: The Department has commissioned Sheffield Hallam University to undertake an evaluation of the clubs. An interim report is due to be published in the next few weeks and a full report is due in autumn 2008.
	We propose to monitor pupils' progress, attainment and subject choice in future years.

Science: General Certificate of Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained secondary schools entered one or more students for separate science GCSEs in each year since 2001.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Science: General Certificate of Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of 16-year-olds in maintained secondary schools were entered for GCSE, dual award science, in each year since 2001.

Jim Knight: The information requested is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of 15-year-olds in maintained secondary schools entered for science dual award  Percentage of 15-year-olds in maintained secondary schools entered for science dual award 
			 2006/07 406,021 69.9 
			 2005/06 414,291 72.2 
			 2004/05 423,496 72.6 
			 2003/04 455,918 77.3 
			 2002/03 451,665 79.0 
			 2001/02 446,769 77.1 
			 2000/01 445,487 77.3 
		
	
	Figures relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of the academic year, i.e. 31 August).

Special Needs Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many appeals against a refusal on the part of a local authority to issue a statement of special needs there were in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of appeals made in the last five years, against the decision of a local authority to refuse to issue of statement of special educational needs, are presented in the following table, broken down by local authority.
	
		
			   Appeals made on refusal to statement 
			  Local authority  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  Total 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1 1 2 2 — 6 
			 Barnet 1 2 — — — 3 
			 Barnsley 2 2 — — — 4 
			 Bath and NE Somerset — 1 — — 2 3 
			 Bedfordshire 1 2 — — 1 4 
			 Bexley — 2 6 11 13 32 
			 Birmingham 2 2 6 1 5 16 
			 Blackburn — — — 1 1 2 
			 Bolton — — 1 — 2 3 
			 Bournemouth 1 1 — 1 — 3 
			 Bradford — — 1 — 1 2 
			 Brent 1 1 — 1 1 4 
			 Bridgend 1 — — — — 1 
			 Brighton and Hove — — — 1 — 1 
			 Bristol City 4 1 4 1 5 15 
			 Bromley 3 1 — 9 7 20 
			 Buckinghamshire 1 3 5 1 — 10 
			 Calderdale — 6 5 4 1 16 
			 Cambridgeshire — 1 — 3 1 5 
			 Camden — 1 1 — — 2 
			 Cheshire 3 4 2 6 8 23 
			 Cornwall 12 7 6 1 2 28 
			 Coventry 1 — — — — 1 
			 Croydon 1 1 2 2 3 9 
			 Cumbria 3 — 1 1 — 5 
			 Darlington — 1 — — — 1 
			 Derby City — 3 — 1 1 5 
			 Derbyshire 3 2 2 4 — 11 
			 Devon 2 1 3 1 3 10 
			 Doncaster 1 1 — 2 8 12 
			 Dorset 1 1 — 1 1 4 
			 Dudley — 1 3 — — 4 
			 Durham 9 11 5 7 6 38 
			 Ealing 1 — 5 1 — 7 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire — — 1 — 1 2 
			 East Sussex 5 7 6 5 8 31 
			 Enfield — — — 1 — 1 
			 Essex 2 4 3 4 6 19 
			 Gateshead 2 1 1 — — 4 
			 Gloucestershire 1 — 1 2 4 8 
			 Greenwich — 2 2 — 1 5 
			 Gwynedd 1 — — — — 1 
			 Hackney 2 2 2 3 — 9 
			 Halton — — 1 — — 1 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham — — — 1 — 1 
			 Hampshire 2 9 3 9 3 26 
			 Haringey 1 — — — 1 2 
			 Harrow 2 — 1 — — 3 
			 Havering — — — — 1 1 
			 Herefordshire — 1 — 2 1 4 
			 Hertfordshire 3 6 2 4 2 17 
			 Hillingdon 1 — — 1 — 2 
			 Hounslow — — 1 2 1 4 
			 Isle of Wight 3 1 1 1 1 7 
			 Islington — 1 — — 2 3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2 1 2 — 1 6 
			 Kent 8 11 13 12 6 50 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1 — — — 2 3 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull, City 4 1 — — — 5 
			 Kirklees 1 1 1 1 — 4 
			 Knowsley — — — 1 — 1 
			 Lambeth 5 1 — 3 — 9 
			 Lancashire 10 6 7 9 1 33 
			 Leeds 2 2 4 1 — 9 
			 Leicester City 3 2 1 3 4 13 
			 Leicestershire 5 7 6 12 9 39 
			 Lewisham — 5 1 3 5 14 
			 Lincolnshire 2 2 1 6 4 15 
			 Liverpool 5 3 1 3 8 20 
			 Manchester — 2 2 2 — 6 
			 Medway 3 3 1 2 — 9 
			 Merton 2 — 2 — 5 9 
			 Middlesbrough — 2 — 1 2 5 
			 Milton Keynes 2 1 1 1 1 6 
			 Neath Port Talbot 2 — — — — — 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne — — — 1 — 1 
			 Newham 3 1 1 2 2 9 
			 Norfolk 1 — 1 5 3 10 
			 North East Lincolnshire 3 2 — 1 2 8 
			 North Lincolnshire 4 2 3 3 — 12 
			 North Somerset 2 2 2 3 1 10 
			 North Tyneside 2 2 — 2 — 6 
			 North Yorkshire 3 2 2 7 1 15 
			 Northamptonshire 3 — 1 — 1 5 
			 Northumberland — — 1 2 — 3 
			 Nottingham City — — — 1 1 2 
			 Nottinghamshire — — — 2 1 3 
			 Oldham 2 — — 2 — 4 
			 Oxfordshire — 1 — — — 1 
			 Pembrokeshire 1 — — — — 1 
			 Peterborough — — 2 — 2 4 
			 Plymouth — — 1 1 2 4 
			 Poole — — — 1 1 2 
			 Portsmouth 1 4 1 1 — 7 
			 Powys 2 — — — — 2 
			 Reading — — — — 1 1 
			 Redbridge — — — 1 — 1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2 — — 1 1 4 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 3 — — — — 3 
			 Richmond upon Thames — 2 — — — 2 
			 Rochdale — — — — 1 1 
			 Rotherham — 2 — 1 3 6 
			 Salford 4 1 2 1 1 9 
			 Sandwell 3 3 3 2 — 11 
			 Sefton — 1 1 — — 2 
			 Sheffield 2 5 4 3 4 18 
			 Shropshire 2 4 3 10 3 22 
			 Slough — — 1 — 1 2 
			 Solihull — — — — 1 1 
			 Somerset 1 4 3 5 4 17 
			 South Gloucestershire 2 2 1 1 — 6 
			 South Tyneside — — 1 — — 1 
			 Southampton — — — 4 — 4 
			 Southend 2 1 2 — — 5 
			 Southwark 2 5 5 2 1 15 
			 Staffordshire 10 7 4 1 2 24 
			 Stockport 1 — — 1 1 3 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 1 — — — — 1 
			 Stoke-on-Trent — 1 2 2 1 6 
			 Suffolk 2 — 1 1 5 9 
			 Sunderland 2 1 1 1 1 6 
			 Surrey 1 9 3 2 14 29 
			 Sutton — — — 1 — 1 
			 Swindon — 1 — 2 — 3 
			 Tameside — — 1 1 3 5 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1 5 — 3 — 9 
			 Thurrock — 1 1 2 2 6 
			 Torbay — 7 1 — — 8 
			 Tower Hamlets — — — — 2 2 
			 Trafford 2 — 5 3 — 10 
			 Wakefield 1 1 — 1 2 5 
			 Walsall — 2 1 1 — 4 
			 Waltham Forest 1 — 5 1 — 7 
			 Wandsworth 1 5 — 1 — 7 
			 Warrington — 1 — 2 — 3 
			 Warwickshire 2 2 2 2 — 8 
			 West Sussex 3 7 3 1 2 16 
			 Westminster — 1 — 1 1 3 
			 Wigan 4 3 3 4 1 15 
			 Wiltshire 5 5 5 9 4 28 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 3 1 — — 1 5 
			 Wirral 1 2 1 — — 4 
			 Wokingham — 1 1 2 — 4 
			 Wolverhampton 1 1 — — — 2 
			 Worcestershire 1 1 — — 1 3 
			 York City — 1 — — — 1 
			 Total 230 256 209 268 233 1,194

Vocational Guidance: Science

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of school careers advisers have educational backgrounds in  (a) science,  (b) technology,  (c) engineering and  (d) mathematics.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

GCE A-level

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of students who lost their place at university due to their exam papers having to be re-marked in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	Admissions are a matter for individual higher education institutions (HEIs) who, as independent bodies, have discretion over their own admission policies and procedures. The Department does not therefore issue guidance in this area.
	The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) have told us that HEIs which are members of the UCAS scheme will keep a place open for an applicant, in the event of a missing or queried exam result, up to 31 August unless an earlier date has been agreed.
	Latest published figures on the number of inquiries about results and appeals are available on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority website at: http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_10312.aspx The Department does not collect information on the number of HE admissions affected by those inquiries and appeals.

JUSTICE

Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions there have been under the Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006 came into force on 20 February 2007. We do not yet have prosecution figures covering 2007. We would expect the number of prosecutions to be small. Any act involving violence against emergency workers would be covered by the general law on assault and the new offence is limited to obstruction only.

Debt Collection: Standards

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish the findings of the consultation Regulation of Enforcement Agents (CP 02/07); and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The analysis of the responses to the Regulation of Enforcement Agents consultation is now complete and will be published in March 2008.

Departmental Publications

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what public information booklets were published by his Department in 2007; and what the  (a) print run and  (b) cost to the Department was in each case.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007. The public information booklets which it has published since then, together with print runs and costs, are listed in the following table.
	Lists of the public information booklets published by the Ministry of Justice's five agencies (National Offender Management Service, Her Majesty's Courts Service; Office of the Public Guardian, Tribunals Service, and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform) will be placed in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice Information Booklets 2007-08 
			  Title of booklet  Print run  Total cost (£) 
			 Legal Services Bill 100 (1)0 
			 Legal Services Act 2007 200 (1)0 
			 Claims Management Regulation: What you need to know 2,000 (1)0 
			 Your Jury Service in the Coroners Court 12,000 3,000 
			 Work of the Coroner 10,500 1,500 
			 When Sudden Death Occurs 20,500 3,000 
			 War Memorials in England and Wales: Guidance for Custodians 2,000 1,000 
			 Step Up to a Judicial Career 4,500 4,400 
			 You Don't Have to Live in Fear (Domestic Violence) 42,000 33,900 
			 You Don't Have to Live in Fear (Domestic Violence) (Welsh) 2,000 2,100 
			 Making Sense of Human Rights (booklet and DVD) 24,600 20,000 
			 Human Rights Act explanatory booklet 5,000 7,900 
			 Human Rights, Human Lives (handbook for public authorities) 7,500 9,100 
			 Magistrates Recruitment Pack 15,000 39,500 
			 Magistrates information booklet 10,000 1,800 
			 (1 )Printed in-house

HM Prison Service's Race Equality Action Plan

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place a copy of HM Prison Service's Race Equality Action Plan in the Library; what steps have been taken to implement it; and what has been the cost of  (a) producing and  (b) implementing the plan.

Maria Eagle: The HM Prison Service Race Equality Action Plan (REAP) is updated approximately monthly, the most recent of which has been placed in the Library.
	The REAP is a detailed and comprehensive plan that sets out all the high-level actions that the public sector Prison Service is taking on race equality. Its production involved contributions from a range of individuals and groups across the Prison Service, and its implementation involves actions by a range of headquarters policy groups and in prison establishments. It is therefore not possible to give an estimate of the cost of producing or implementing the plan.

Knutsford Crown Court

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consideration he has given to the potential use of Knutsford Crown Court for magistrates hearings.

Maria Eagle: Her Majesty's Courts Service in Cheshire-Merseyside has developed an estates strategy that aims to identify opportunities to maximise the utilisation of all its buildings. The option to utilise Knutsford Crown Court as a magistrates court does not presently form part of the strategy, although cases are occasionally listed at Knutsford magistrates court from both Macclesfield and Vale Royal magistrates courts. Dates on which such cases are currently listed are as follows:
	
		
			  Date  Local justice area 
			 12 February 2008 Macclesfield 
			 13 February 2008 Vale Royal 
			 14 February 2008 Vale Royal 
			 25 February 2008 Macclesfield 
			 26 February 2008 Macclesfield 
			 27 February 2008 Macclesfield 
			 28 February 2008 Macclesfield 
			 4 March 2008 Vale Royal 
			 5 March 2008 Vale Royal 
			 6 March 2008 Vale Royal 
			 7 March 2008 Vale Royal 
			 17 March 2008 Vale Royal 
			 18 March 2008 Vale Royal 
			 19 March 2008 Vale Royal 
			 31 March 2008 Vale Royal 
			 1 April 2008 Vale Royal 
			 2 April 2008 Vale Royal 
			 3 April 2008 Vale Royal 
			 4 April 2008 Vale Royal 
		
	
	A feasibility study to improve and/or replace Macclesfield magistrates court and a potential integration scheme with Macclesfield county court is under consideration and the Ministry of Justice Building Review Group will shortly receive a bid in this respect.

Legal Aid Scheme

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were eligible for legal aid in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: Legal aid covers a number of different areas of justice, and the extent to which applicants' financial circumstances are taken into account in granting legal aid varies considerably across these areas. It is therefore not possible to give figures for the number of people eligible for legal aid as a whole. However, some estimates of the likely number that would be eligible are available for certain areas.
	In criminal cases, all those arrested in England and Wales are eligible to receive free advice and assistance at the police station. Defendants are financially eligible for representation in the Crown Court, subject to judicial discretion to recover costs. We estimate that around half the population of England and Wales would be financially eligible to receive legal aid in magistrates courts cases following the introduction of the means test in October 2006.
	Prior to April 2001 there was a legal aid contribution scheme in operation for criminal cases. The court decided the level of contributions according to the defendant's means. Estimates of eligibility levels under this scheme would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table provides estimates of the proportion of the population of England and Wales that were in principle financially eligible for civil legal aid in those categories for which financial circumstances are taken into account in each of the past 10 years where figures are available. However, decisions on granting of legal aid also depend on the merits of the case, while some areas of civil law are not now covered by legal aid. The decline over recent years in the proportion of the population eligible for civil legal aid is likely to reflect increases in general levels of prosperity, changes to the structure of the benefits system, demographic changes, and also the Government's drive to focus legal aid support on the most vulnerable people in society and to achieve the more effective delivery of civil legal aid.
	More effective delivery is evidenced by the number of acts of assistance of civil legal aid not declining in parallel with eligibility over the last 10 years and increasing significantly from 856,000 in 2004-05 to 1,137,000 in 2006-07. Moreover, cash expenditure on civil legal aid (excluding immigration and asylum legal help whose costs reflect the volume of people arriving), rose from £615 million in 2001-02 to £730 million in 2006-07.
	
		
			   Estimated proportion of the population of England and Wales eligible for civil representation (%) 
			 1998 52 
			 1999 51 
			 2000 50 
			 2001 46 
			 2005 41 
			 2007 29

Legal Aid: Expenditure

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on legal aid where the case had been brought against a political party in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The information is not readily available. In order to extract this information a manual inspection of all legal aid certificates issued in the past five years would be required. To do so would be of disproportionate cost.

Legal Aid: Negligence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many legally aided clinical negligence cases were closed in 2007 which proceeded beyond the investigation stage; and how many of these cases resulted in an award of damages or settlement involving an agreement to pay damages or compensation.

Maria Eagle: Figures covering the whole of 2007 will not be available until after the end of the current financial year. However, during 2006-07, 2,415 cases are known to have progressed beyond the investigation stage to the issue of proceedings. These included 300 cases that resulted in an award of damages and 1,240 settled cases that involved an agreement to pay damages or compensation.

Legal Aid: Negligence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many legally aided clinical negligence cases were closed in 2007 which did not proceed beyond the investigation stage; and how many of these cases resulted in a settlement involving an agreement to pay damages or compensation.

Maria Eagle: Figures covering the whole of 2007 will not be available until after the end of the current financial year. However, during 2006-07, 3,009 cases were closed at the investigation stage, before the issue of proceedings. Of these, 468 cases had resulted in a settlement involving an agreement to pay damages or compensation.

Offenders: Deportation

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on plans to repatriate Libyan prisoners detained in prisons in this country; what estimate he has made of how many prisoners will be affected; and what decisions have been made on the status of Mohammed Al Megrahi;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the prisoner transfer agreement between the UK and Libya.

Jack Straw: On 28 May 2007, the then Prime Minister signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Libyan Prime Minister which stated that negotiations would take place on four agreements in the field of judicial co-operation. These agreements were: Extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance, Civil and Commercial Law, and Prisoner Transfer.
	The prisoner transfer agreement, which has not yet been finalised, will provide for British nationals imprisoned in Libya, and Libyan nationals imprisoned in the United Kingdom, to serve their sentences in their own country. Transfer will only take place if both Governments give their consent in respect of each individual applicant prisoner. At 31 December 2007, 16 Libyan nationals were imprisoned in England and Wales. On the same date no British nationals were detained in prison in Libya.
	Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi is serving a life sentence in Scotland for his part in the bombing of Pan American Flight 103 on 21 December 1988. As a prisoner detained in Scotland the decision on whether or not he can be transferred from Scotland to a prison in Libya would be a matter for Scottish Ministers. The Government have not entered into any arrangement for the transfer of Mr. al-Megrahi to Libya.
	In accordance with the Ponsonby Rules a copy of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement between the UK and Libya will be laid before Parliament once it has been signed.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many offending behaviour programmes were undertaken in prisons in England and Wales in the period 1997 to 2007; and what measures were used to judge their effectiveness;
	(2)  how many offending behaviour programmes in prisons in England and Wales over the period 1997 to 2007 were subject to randomised controlled trials to assess their effectiveness;
	(3)  how many prisoners in England and Wales participated in offending behaviour programmes during the period 1997 to 2007;
	(4)  what the cost of offending behaviour programmes in prisons in England and Wales was in each year from 1997 to 2007.

Maria Eagle: In 1997 the Prison Service offered a range of six accredited offending behaviour programmes, and by 2007 the repertoire of accredited offending behaviour programmes had increased to 15.
	Various measures have been used in the evaluation of the effectiveness of offending behaviour programmes in England and Wales. Predominantly quasi-experimental and non-experimental research designs have been used, many examining the reconviction rates of those who have completed programmes compared to those who have not. Other measures used to judge effectiveness include pre to post-examines treatment psychometric data which short term treatment impact, as well as gathering audit and qualitative information on programme participants and the delivery of programmes.
	During this period, one randomised control trial has been conducted on the effectiveness of offending behaviour programmes. The Treatment Change Project (TCP) is an evaluation of HM Prison Service accredited Enhanced Thinking Skills (ETS) programme which aims to examine the impact of ETS courses on impulsivity in adult male offenders over the age of 18, and to investigate whether changes in levels of impulsivity were reflected in changes in prison behaviour.
	The TCP was conducted as a randomised control trial (RCT), and as such is the first large-scale RCT evaluating the impact of ETS in prisons.
	The draft report is at the peer review stage, with publication scheduled for April 2008.
	From 1 April 1997 to 31 March 2007 the number of accredited offending behaviour programmes completed by prisoners was 65,233. Some prisoners will have completed more than one programme.
	The funding for the delivery of accredited offending behaviour programmes is part of establishment baselines, therefore it is not possible to accurately disaggregate the cost of this work. The Prison Service is currently working on developing a costing process to provide more accurate costs for regime activities and interventions.
	Additional funding was provided by the Government to expand the delivery of accredited offending behaviour programmes as shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04 
			 Comprehensive Spending Review 7.3 8.4 8.9 8.9 8.9 
			 Crime Reduction Programme 0.7 1.1 1.5 — — 
			 Spending Review 2000 — — — 3.6 11.6 
		
	
	Based on an estimated average cost per programme completion and the number of completions in 2006-07, we estimate that the cost of delivering accredited offending behaviour programmes in 2006-07 to be approximately £25 million.

Prisons: Community Engagement Implementation Guide

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to HM Prison Service was of producing  (a) the Community Engagement Implementation Guide and  (b) community engagement events held in the last 12 months; and if he will place a copy of the Guide in the Library.

Maria Eagle: The Community Engagement Implementation Guide was produced by a member of the Race Equality Action Group (REAG): the senior executive officer (whose annual salary was about £35,000) spent approximately 10 per cent. of her time developing the document, which formed part of the revised Prison Service Race Equality Order (PSO 2800). The order is available on the Prison Service website and in the parliamentary Library. A copy of the Implementation Guide has been placed in the Library.
	At a national level the Prison Service spent £5,000 on undertaking and publicising community engagement events in the last 12 months. Local community engagement events are held in prisons across the estate and details are not held centrally, so it is not possible to give a figure for the cost of such events.

Prisons: Race Equality Action Team Training

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people are employed in HM Prison Service's race equality action group; and what the cost of the group is in 2007-08.

Maria Eagle: 24 members of staff are employed in HM Prison Service's Race Equality Action Group (REAG). The group's annual budget (including pay and non-pay) for 2007-08 is £1.475 million.

Prisons: Traveller Day

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisons have held a Traveller Day in the last three years; and what the cost was of such events.

Maria Eagle: Traveller Days are local initiatives held by prisons: they are dependent on establishments having recognised groups of prisoners from Traveller background. The Prison Service considers it best practice for establishment to hold such events.
	Information is not held centrally on events such as Traveller Days held in prisons. To collect the information requested would require contacting all 125 public sector prisons in England and Wales individually and for each establishment to conduct a manual check of their local records. It is not therefore possible to provide figures for the number of such events in the last three years or their costs.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anabolic Steroids: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department keeps records of the number of young men who have taken anabolic steroids for non-medical reasons in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The British Crime Survey (BCS) collects information on the illicit use of anabolic steroids. As the following table shows, the proportion of young people aged 16 to 24 years using anabolic steroids not prescribed by a doctor has remained at less than 0.5 per cent. since such questions were included in the survey in 1996.
	Due to the small number of anabolic steroid users in the BCS sample it is not possible to provide a separate breakdown for men and women.
	
		
			  Proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds reporting use of anabolic steroids in the last year, 1996 to 2006-07 
			   Anabolic steroids  Unweighted base 
			 1996 0.5 1,412 
			 1998 0.5 1,233 
			 2000 0.1 1,455 
			 2001-02 0.2 3,984 
			 2002-03 0.1 4,209 
			 2003-04 0.4 5,327 
			 2004-05 0.4 6,182 
			 2005-06 0.3 5,876 
			 2006-07 0.2 5,687

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many antisocial behaviour orders were issued to children in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) sex and  (b) age;
	(2)  how many antisocial behaviour orders issued to children were breached in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many children were sent to prison as a result of breaking an antisocial behaviour order in each of the last five years;
	(4)  how many children have been subject to more than one antisocial behaviour order in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Data showing the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued to juveniles aged 10 to 17, by gender, can be found in the following table. Of the total number of ASBOs issued to juveniles aged 10 to 17 since inception, 2,293 were proven to have been breached at least once by the end of 2005. Such data, further broken down by year, are not available. The data held by the Department do not identify whether multiple ASBOs have been issued to the same person.
	Data on the type of sentence received for breach of an ASBO will be published later this year.
	
		
			  Number of Antisocial Behaviour Orders issued to persons aged ID-17 at all courts, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, by sex, in England and Wales, 2001-05 
			   England and Wales 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Males 187 237 573 1,195 1,424 
			 Females 6 13 52 125 134 
			 All aged 10 to 17 193 250 625 1,320 1,558 
			  Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Asylum

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 951W, how many of the 72,550 asylum seekers removed from the UK have subsequently reapplied for asylum in the UK.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 21 January 2008
	The requested information is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost through the examination of individual cases.

Asylum and Immigration Act 1996

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of enforcing section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: Operational activity within local enforcement offices includes staff resources involved in illegal working operations. The cost of enforcing section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 (illegal working), is not separately identifiable from the overall budgets allocated to local enforcement offices.

Asylum: Social Security Benefits

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers had their benefits withdrawn under section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 in each year since it came into force.

Jacqui Smith: The use of section 9 was introduced by way of a pilot scheme which ran from December 2004 to December 2005. During this time asylum support was withdrawn from 26 families. Six of these families are on support again, having become eligible during 2007.

Crime

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records her Department holds for crime statistics at more local levels than that of basic command units; whether such records are publicly available; and if she will make it her policy to set out a timetable for the publication of such statistics at ward level.

Tony McNulty: The recorded crime data returned to the Home Office by police forces are at police force, basic command unit and crime and disorder reduction partnerships levels. Data are not routinely submitted to the Home Office at smaller geographic levels. A pilot collection of recorded crime data at middle super output area level has been released by the Home Office on the Neighbourhood Statistics website. The data were provided on a voluntary basis by a number of forces and are available for years 2003-04 to 2005-06 for selected offences:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/dataset List.do?JSAllowed=true&Function=&percent24ph=60& CurrentPageId=60&step=1&CurrentTreeIndex=-1&searchString=&datasetFamilyId=904&Next.x=8&Next.y=9
	As part of the broader agenda to enhance responsiveness, accountability and public engagement with policing and community safety, the Home Office are working with ACPO, the APA and practitioners from police forces, authorities and local partnerships on the provision of crime information at a level that would make sense to the public locally. The aim of the project is to make local data and information on policing, crime and community safety available on a monthly and consistent basis from July 2008 onwards by local agencies, such as police authorities, police forces and local authorities.

Crime: Firearms

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were recorded by the police in which deactivated or reactivated firearms were used in the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: Information on deactivated or reactivated firearms has been centrally separately collected since 2004-05. Available data from 2004-05 up to and including 2006-07 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in which reactivated and deactivated firearms were used, England and Wales, 2004-05 to 2006-07 
			  Number of offences 
			  Weapon type  2004-05( 1)  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Reactivated handgun 2 2 2 
			 Deactivated imitation firearm 1 4 2 
			 Other reactivated firearm — 2 1 
			 (1) More explicit guidelines for the classification of weapons introduced on 1 April 2004 may have increased the recording of firearm offences, particularly those committed by imitation weapons.

Driving Under Influence: Drugs

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests for drug-driving resulted in a custodial sentence  (a) in England and  (b) in each police authority area in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The data on arrests collected by the Ministry of Justice do not include information on the outcomes in court of those arrests.
	Information is available on convictions and custodial sentences for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs by police force area from 1997 to 2005. This is provided in the following tables. 2006 data will be available later this year.
	The data provided cover both drink and drugs offences.
	
		
			  Findings of guilt and immediate custodial sentences at all courts for offences of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1)  by police force area, 1997 to 2005 
			  Number of offences 
			   1997  1998  1999 
			  Police force area  Findings of guilt  Immediate custody( 2)  Findings of guilt  Immediate custody( 2)  Findings of guilt  Immediate custody( 2) 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,812 163 2,566 157 2,728 165 
			 Bedfordshire 1,146 119 1,060 96 869 87 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,092 56 1,060 62 941 43 
			 Cheshire 1,969 97 1,903 119 1,827 133 
			 Cleveland 926 61 870 63 811 57 
			 Cumbria 931 49 856 51 871 37 
			 Derbyshire 1,612 147 1,547 202 1,463 181 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,342 91 2,265 127 2,277 112 
			 Dorset 1,214 93 1,186 88 1,120 96 
			 Durham 1,044 66 1,035 53 1,137 81 
			 Essex 2,736 228 2,438 233 2,528 261 
			 Gloucestershire 1,067 48 985 36 889 51 
			 Greater Manchester 4,806 440 4,715 453 4,850 464 
			 Hampshire 3,774 243 3,597 231 3,725 213 
			 Hertfordshire 1,670 90 1,672 91 1,679 90 
			 Humberside 1,274 76 1,358 87 1,323 97 
			 Kent 2,321 97 2,627 155 2,633 133 
			 Lancashire 3,389 224 2,945 178 3,010 184 
			 Leicestershire 1,648 183 1,485 140 1,624 188 
			 Lincolnshire 1,088 47 979 36 941 44 
			 London, City of 436 8 301 9 236 5 
			 Merseyside 2,719 304 2,451 326 2,137 296 
			 Metropolitan Police 16,165 1,270 13,889 1,050 12,414 838 
			 Norfolk 1,116 49 1,118 43 1,010 64 
			 Northamptonshire 1,107 109 1,062 73 1,058 91 
			 Northumbria 2,625 184 2,457 194 2,463 229 
			 North Yorkshire 1,365 77 1,205 77 1,124 60 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,031 255 1,804 247 1,802 262 
			 South Yorkshire 2,296 204 2,002 178 1,927 149 
			 Staffordshire(3) 2,036 132 1,955 140 1,711 143 
			 Suffolk 1,050 53 1,042 60 1,089 71 
			 Surrey 1,380 64 1,328 58 1,417 47 
			 Sussex 2,373 110 2,113 113 2,224 120 
			 Thames Valley 4,070 215 3,896 195 3,725 216 
			 Warwickshire 837 44 784 53 856 38 
			 West Mercia 1,947 87 1,794 97 1,747 114 
			 West Midlands 6,351 598 5,582 532 4,775 532 
			 West Yorkshire 3,953 394 3,669 329 3,597 358 
			 Wiltshire 1,043 27 1,108 39 1,009 45 
			 England 93,761 6,802 86,709 6,471 83,567 6,395 
			 Dyfed Powys 1,029 44 995 38 944 48 
			 Gwent 1,166 61 1,203 84 1,079 78 
			 North Wales 1,354 96 1,306 95 1,248 94 
			 South Wales 2,892 257 2,903 239 2,526 282 
			 Wales 6,441 458 6,407 456 5,797 502 
			
			 England and Wales 100,202 7,260 93,116 6,927 89,364 6,897 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of offences 
			   2000  2001  2002 
			  Police force area  Findings of guilt  Immediate custody( 2)  Findings of guilt  Immediate custody( 2)  Findings of guilt  Immediate custody( 2) 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,462 152 2,197 129 2,401 124 
			 Bedfordshire 797 89 914 79 955 82 
			 Cambridgeshire 793 41 813 51 852 41 
			 Cheshire 1,652 122 1,529 96 1,993 103 
			 Cleveland 777 56 887 77 921 71 
			 Cumbria 806 50 761 51 768 37 
			 Derbyshire 1,417 126 1,411 140 1,465 164 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,199 104 2,369 128 2,441 95 
			 Dorset 1,115 84 1,150 91 1,199 83 
			 Durham 1,124 76 1,097 86 1,136 68 
			 Essex 2,462 237 2,456 264 2,522 267 
			 Gloucestershire 804 37 865 39 926 44 
			 Greater Manchester 4,801 428 4,715 454 4,720 474 
			 Hampshire 3,472 244 3,464 235 3,846 243 
			 Hertfordshire 1,552 98 1,666 94 1,894 90 
			 Humberside 1,371 128 1,259 126 1,395 113 
			 Kent 2,592 134 2,575 165 2,745 152 
			 Lancashire 2,584 163 2,304 148 2,599 159 
			 Leicestershire 1,531 152 1,546 140 1,659 140 
			 Lincolnshire 816 48 877 60 847 56 
			 London, City of 162 4 162 10 221 12 
			 Merseyside 2,128 286 2,195 217 2,293 216 
			 Metropolitan Police 11,801 891 11,260 928 12,905 927 
			 Norfolk 935 45 1,143 75 1,220 55 
			 Northamptonshire 782 90 399 65 236 35 
			 Northumbria 2,621 215 2,529 217 2,588 188 
			 North Yorkshire 1,073 67 1,066 55 1,119 63 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,722 210 1,598 187 1,420 129 
			 South Yorkshire 2,122 170 2,020 159 1,945 165 
			 Staffordshire(3) n/a n/a 1,513 136 1,704 143 
			 Suffolk 902 74 920 43 1,105 79 
			 Surrey 1,539 61 1,592 65 1,614 68 
			 Sussex 2,112 136 2,358 128 2,306 149 
			 Thames Valley 3,496 212 3,275 210 4,317 219 
			 Warwickshire 786 42 880 33 841 40 
			 West Mercia 1,631 101 1,740 91 1,719 93 
			 West Midlands 4,559 451 4,914 471 5,050 438 
			 West Yorkshire 3,375 287 3,220 331 3,564 268 
			 Wiltshire 930 28 1,045 53 1,005 54 
			 England 79,671 6,076 78,684 6,127 84,456 5,947 
			
			 Dyfed Powys 858 45 867 36 927 47 
			 Gwent 1,211 99 1,152 76 1,074 74 
			 North Wales 1,332 92 1,227 87 1,270 71 
			 South Wales 2,757 255 2,812 295 2,761 236 
			 Wales 6,158 491 6,058 494 6,032 428 
			
			 England and Wales 85,829 6,567 84,742 6,621 90,488 6,375 
		
	
	—continued
	
		
			  Number of offences 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			  Police force area  Findings of guilt  Immediate custody( 2)  Findings of guilt  Immediate custody( 2)  Findings of guilt  Immediate custody( 2) 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,666 167 2,692 145 2,595 127 
			 Bedfordshire 1,072 72 1,028 65 1,050 81 
			 Cambridgeshire 933 56 1,083 52 1,214 65 
			 Cheshire 1,905 110 2,128 106 1,709 113 
			 Cleveland 981 61 1,071 60 959 44 
			 Cumbria 843 37 907 50 853 54 
			 Derbyshire 1,617 168 1,874 143 1,645 118 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,667 121 2,560 120 2,446 102 
			 Dorset 1,264 73 1,239 52 1,207 63 
			 Durham 1,170 77 1,277 80 1,168 56 
			 Essex 2,622 311 2,853 349 2,549 262 
			 Gloucestershire 890 37 913 38 834 29 
			 Greater Manchester 4,743 437 4,811 379 4,653 317 
			 Hampshire 3,663 234 3,743 199 3,372 189 
			 Hertfordshire 1,904 78 1,881 94 1,836 87 
			 Humberside 1,445 150 1,623 112 1,592 117 
			 Kent 2,811 179 3,010 155 2,907 157 
			 Lancashire 2,652 146 2,706 125 2,723 136 
			 Leicestershire 1,725 143 1,754 145 1,631 122 
			 Lincolnshire 1,111 42 1,209 46 1,176 36 
			 London, City of 230 4 169 5 184 4 
			 Merseyside 2,687 215 2,849 261 2,964 252 
			 Metropolitan Police 12,621 922 13,227 832 12,887 766 
			 Norfolk 1,274 59 1,240 64 1,265 50 
			 Northamptonshire 799 65 922 73 853 67 
			 Northumbria 2,747 187 2,675 183 2,561 107 
			 North Yorkshire 1,194 51 1,131 40 1,244 51 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,644 149 1,669 111 1,626 112 
			 South Yorkshire 2,089 125 2,224 140 2,220 124 
			 Staffordshire (3) 1,733 141 1,733 124 1,718 111 
			 Suffolk 1,213 66 1,332 89 1,103 59 
			 Surrey 1,464 44 1,425 51 1,503 53 
			 Sussex 2,430 120 2,368 104 2,379 108 
			 Thames Valley 3,884 159 3,539 190 3,474 181 
			 Warwickshire 918 33 845 23 871 28 
			 West Mercia 1,797 100 1,689 103 1,917 96 
			 West Midlands 5,233 420 5,584 423 5,693 347 
			 West Yorkshire 3,720 260 3,897 276 3,863 163 
			 Wiltshire 1,031 62 1,024 39 1,038 41 
			 England 87,392 5,881 89,904 5,646 87,482 4,995 
			
			 Dyfed Powys 995 46 986 47 932 36 
			 Gwent 1,149 94 1,188 69 1,129 74 
			 North Wales 1,326 76 1,349 75 1,364 68 
			 South Wales 2,840 211 2,811 222 2,811 199 
			 Wales 6,310 427 6,334 413 6,236 377 
			
			 England and Wales 93,702 6,308 96,238 6,059 93,718 5,372 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Data provided cover summary offences of driving etc after consuming alcohol or taking drugs (which cannot reliably be distinguished separately). (2) Immediate Custody includes sentences of Secure Training Order, Detention & Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment. (3) Staffordshire Police Force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Drunkenness: Crime Prevention

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what maximum levy may be imposed on a licensed premises in an alcohol disorder zone; and whether the revenue is ring-fenced;
	(2)  what estimate has been made of the number of alcohol disorder zones that will be implemented by local authorities in the first full year of operation of the legislation.

Vernon Coaker: Alcohol disorder zones (ADZs) are designed to tackle the problem of alcohol-related crime and disorder in the worst affected parts of town and city centres through a focus on the public space and/or the management of certain licensed premises. There will be no maximum levy that may be imposed on licensed premises, but the purposes to which the money raised can be put will be regulated, and the money raised will have to be spent on additional enforcement services which are over and above the baseline levels already in place.
	The regulatory impact assessment for ADZs estimates that in the first year of ADZ being in force, approximately 30 areas may move to the action planning phase of the ADZ. However, it is unlikely that all areas which move to the action planning phase will continue to implement the full ADZ, as it is expected that as progress is made towards reducing alcohol- related crime and disorder, a significant proportion of ADZs will not proceed further than the action planning phase.

Human Trafficking: Children

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who gave authorisation for television cameras to film the Metropolitan and Thames Valley Police raids in Slough on 24 January 2008 in which 11 suspected child victims of human trafficking were taken into the care of social services.

Jacqui Smith: Following a series of meetings involving all partners in the operation to discuss media strategy, the decision was taken by the Metropolitan Police Service Gold Commander for Operation Caddy.

Identity Cards

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was to her Department of conferences relating to the national identity scheme in the last two years.

Jacqui Smith: The Identity and Passport Service held the National Identity Scheme Strategic Suppliers Group Framework procurement bidders' conference in September 2007. The bidders' conference was part of the procurement process rather than a conventional conference and the venue and associated costs amounted to £4,028.

Immigration: Biometrics

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what biometric information will be held on biometric immigration documents.

Jacqui Smith: We are planning for our new identity cards for foreign nationals, who are subject to immigration control, to contain biometric data in the form of two of the holder's fingerprints and a digital facial image. Biographical and other important information will also be included on the cards, such as the holder's name, date and place of birth, nationality, and whether the person is entitled to employment and access to public funds in the United Kingdom.

Internet: Crime

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the cost of cybercrime to the UK economy in the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: This information is not held centrally.

Internet: Crime

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time staff her Department employs to deal with cybercrime.

Jacqui Smith: The Government criminalise acts based on the offence committed and not the medium used; therefore many Home Office teams make policy on crimes which can be committed over the internet. Teams specifically dealing with cybercrime (for all or some of their time) employ six full-time and one part- time members of staff.

Migration

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what voting arrangements in the Council of Ministers will apply to decisions relating to EU policy on legal migration once the Treaty of Lisbon enters into force.

Jacqui Smith: The voting procedure in the Council of Ministers for EU policy on legal migration will be Qualified Majority Voting.
	The UK position remains unchanged. We will opt into EU asylum and immigration measures where it is in the national interest to do so and consistent with our policy of retaining frontier controls.

Muslim Media Issues

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has appointed a specialist to deal with Muslim media issues.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office press office has had, since June 2006, one post whose work includes engagement with black and minority ethnic media. Some of this work naturally includes work with Muslim media.

National Identity Register

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of Government officials who will be permitted to access the national identity register.

Jacqui Smith: It is too soon to give the precise number of Government officials who will be permitted to access the national identity register. However, only a small number of strictly vetted officials will be permitted to manage information held on the register under the provisions of the Identity Cards Act 2006.

Opium Crops

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 869W, on opium crops, how many hectares were grown in each location in the UK in 2007.

Vernon Coaker: During 2007 a total of 2,744.98 hectares of opium poppy crop were grown in 67 locations in the UK. The size of individual sites ranged from four to 229.25 hectares with a mean average location size of 40.96 hectares.

Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will list by English police authority  (a) the population covered by that authority,  (b) the authorised police establishment for that authority,  (c) the actual police establishment for that authority,  (d) the total arrests made in that authority,  (e) the number of arrests made per actual police officer,  (f) the total number of reported crimes,  (g) the number of crimes per officer,  (h) the total number of crimes per 1,000 population and  (i) the total number of reported crimes unsolved per 1,000 population for the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The available data, based on mid year estimates from the Office for National Statistics, are given in Table 1 placed in the House Libraries.
	 (b), (c) Authorised establishments were abolished by the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994. It is a matter for each chief constable in consultation with the police authority to determine the number of police officers a force would have. Information on police service strength is published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series "Police Service Strength, England and Wales" and details for officers are given in Table 2 placed in the House Libraries.
	 (d) The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only. The available information is given in the Table 3, placed in the House Libraries, by police force area, from 1999-2000 (previous years data are unreliable) to 2005-06 (latest available).
	 (e) Information on arrests rates is not collected centrally and, from the information available centrally, arrests rates cannot be computed with any accuracy. Numbers of arrests are only collected by the Ministry of Justice on a recorded crime (notifiable offences) basis and from the Home Office data on numbers of police officers; one does not know the duties to which they have been assigned.
	 (f), (g), (h), (i) The available data are given in Tables 4, 5 and 6, placed in the House Libraries.

Police

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of service of police officers is in  (a) Sussex,  (b) Kent,  (c) Surrey and  (d) the Metropolitan police; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 18 February 2008
	The information requested cannot be calculated from the centrally collected data within the police personnel statistics series. Length of service data are only collected in a number of fixed time bands and are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Length of Service for Police Officers for 2006-07 
			  Percentage 
			   Up to 5 years  5-10 years  10-15 years  15-20 years  20-25 years  26-30 years  30-35 years( 1)  35 years and over( 1) 
			 Kent 29 19 16 16 9 9 1 0 
			 Metropolitan police 29 18 12 14 12 12 2 0 
			 Surrey(2) — — — — — — — — 
			 Sussex 32 17 15 16 11 8 1 0 
			 England and Wales 28 18 14 15 12 11 2 0 
			 (1) Police officers are eligible for retirement after 30 years service. (2) Data for Surrey are not available.

Police: Manpower

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics her Department gathers on transfers of police officers between forces; and how many police officers have transferred  (a) from Sussex police to the Metropolitan police and  (b) from the Metropolitan police to Sussex police in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 18 February 2008
	The Home Office centrally collects statistics on the total number of police officers transferring in to each force, and separately collects the total number of police officers transferring out from each force. The data do not identify the force to or from which the transfer occurred. In 2006-07 (the latest period for which figures are available), 40 full-time equivalent police officers transferred out from Sussex police to other forces, and 24 officers transferred in to Sussex police from other forces.

Serious Organised Crime Agency: Expenditure

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Serious Organised Crime Agency spent on border security and enforcement in each of the last three financial years.

Vernon Coaker: The Serious Organised Crime Agency, which was established on 1 April 2006, has the aim of reducing the harm caused to the UK through serious organised crime. It does not have a function to provide border security. At any given time, SOCA officers may be engaged, to a greater or lesser extent, in activity which bears on border security and enforcement.

Staffordshire Police Authority: Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much the precept set by Staffordshire Police Authority is for 2008-09; and at what rate it will be levied on local householders;
	(2)  how much Staffordshire Police Authority has received from central funds in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: Government grants since 1997-98 to Staffordshire police authority are set out in the following table.
	Staffordshire police authority has increased its police precept for 2008-09 by 3.75 per cent.
	
		
			  Staffordshire police authority central funding since 1997-98 
			   Government grant( 1)  (£ million) 
			 1997-98 96.15 
			 1998-99 95.09 
			 1999-2000 96.27 
			 2000-01 100.13 
			 2001-02 105.23 
			 2002-03 106.36 
			 2003-04 112.87 
			 2004-05 117.62 
			 2005-06(2) 122.43 
			 2006-07(3) 122.05 
			 2007-08 126.77 
			 (1) Revenue funding includes all grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services), and includes formula grant and all specific grants. (2) In 2005-06 figures were adjusted for comparison purposes following the transfer of pensions and security funding from general grant in 2006-07. (3) 2006-07 Government grant figures are provisional outturn figures. 2007-08 figures are budget figures.  Source: DCLG

Terrorism

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Islamic scholars are employed by her Department to advise on the Prevent strand of Project Contest.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office does not employ any Islamic scholars. Expert advice on Islam and other religions is obtained from independent experts as and when required.

Treaty establishing the European Communities

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which measures the UK has decided to participate in through the opt-in arrangements under Title IV of the Treaty establishing the European Communities.

Jacqui Smith: The measures the UK has decided to participate in through the opt-in arrangements under Title IV of the Treaty establishing the European Communities are in the table, a copy of which has been placed in the House Library.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women more than 24 weeks pregnant received abortions in clinics overseas paid for in whole or in part from public funds in each of the last three years for which figures are available; how many such abortions took place in each such country; what recent representations he has received on public funding for abortions overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.
	The Department has received no representations on the public funding of abortions overseas.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women are known to have died within one month of operations for termination of pregnancy notified under the abortion regulations in each of the last 10 years, broken down by age group.

Dawn Primarolo: Maternal deaths associated with termination of pregnancy that were reported to the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths for the period 1994 to 2005, are set out in the following table. The data for 2006 to 2007 are not yet available.
	
		
			  Maternal deaths associated with termination of pregnancy; United Kingdom 1994-2005 
			  Triennium  Number of deaths from termination of pregnancy 
			 2003-05 2 
			 2000-02 5 
			 1997-99 2 
			 1994-96 1 
			  Notes: 1. There were around 500,000 abortions in the UK in each three year period and hence the number of deaths represent less than 0.0001 per cent. of all abortions carried out. 2. Direct deaths (occurring during pregnancy and up to and including 42 days inclusive after termination). 3. The numbers are too small to be broken down by age group.  Source: Figures are from the reports of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the UK for the relevant triennium.

Abortion in Clinics Overseas

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the (i) number of and (ii) reasons for UK women over 24 weeks gestation receiving abortions in clinics overseas; when the last such evaluation took place; whether it drew upon research undertaken in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has neither commissioned nor evaluated research on the number or causes of United Kingdom women over 24 weeks gestation undergoing abortions in clinics overseas. Such data would be difficult or impossible to collect reliably.

Abortion: Private Sector

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) primary and  (b) delegated legislation regulates advertising by private abortion clinics; what changes have been made to each since enactment; whether further revision is planned; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There is no legislation on advertising by private abortion clinics specifically. However advertisements must comply with the law in general as well as the advertising codes.

Adverse Drug Reactions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many adverse drug reaction reports were received through the yellow card reporting system for  (a) all anti-psychotic drugs,  (b) traditional anti-psychotic drugs and  (c) atypical anti-psychotic drugs in each of the last five years; and how many prescriptions there were for each such type of drug in each year;
	(2)  how many people in each age cohort experienced an adverse drug reaction in  (a) England,  (b) each region,  (c) each strategic health authority and  (d) each primary care trust area in each year since 2003; and how many such reactions in each category were fatal;
	(3)  how many people aged between  (a) 50 and 64-years-old,  (b) 65 and 74-years-old and  (c) over 75-years-old (i) died and (ii) were injured by adverse drug reactions in each year since 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Commission for Human Medicines through the spontaneous reporting scheme; the yellow card scheme.
	Table 1 shows the number of suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA in the specified time periods where an anti-psychotic drug was listed by the reporter as being suspect. The total number of ADR reports for all antipsychotics is not equal to the sum of both atypical and traditional antipsychotics since an individual ADR report may provide more than one drug as suspect.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA between 2003 and 2007 inclusive for antipsychotic drugs 
			   All antipsychotics  Atypical antipsychotics  Traditional antipsychotics 
			 2003 1,812 1,694 140 
			 2004 2,060 1,963 105 
			 2005 2,614 2,473 160 
			 2006 2,127 1,920 226 
			 2007 2,327 2,172 173 
		
	
	The numbers of antipsychotic prescription items from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) database are shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: Numbers of prescriptions showing numbers of antipsychotic prescription items( 1)  (in thousands from the PCA database) between 2002 and 2006 
			   All antipsychotics  Atypical antipsychotics  Traditional antipsychotics 
			 2002 5,167.0 2,471.6 2,695.3 
			 2003 5,513.2 3,088.7 2,424.4 
			 2004 5,687.8 3,333.9 2,353.8 
			 2005 5,872.9 3,597.7 2,275.2 
			 2006 6,196.1 4,049.1 2,147.0 
			 (1 )Prescriptions items—prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item. 
		
	
	Table 3 gives the numbers of suspected adverse reaction reports received for the three age cohorts each year since 2003. Reports of suspected ADRs do not always specify the original reporter's address; therefore data on ADRs cannot be provided by region, strategic health authority or primary care trust area.
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA from all sources in each of the last 5 years broken down by three age groups 
			   Age group 
			   50-64  65-74  75+ 
			 2003 3,832 2,633 2,595 
			 2004 4,242 2,904 2,503 
			 2005 4,280 2,896 2,585 
			 2006 4,414 2,919 2,374 
			 2007 4,692 2,693 1,998 
		
	
	The number of suspected adverse reaction reports associated with a fatal outcome each year for the last five years is shown in table 4. It is important to note that the submission of a suspected ADR report does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the patient's underlying disease.
	
		
			  Table 4: The number of fatal reports that have been received by the MHRA within the specified time periods broken down by three age groups 
			   Age group 
			   50-64  65-74  75+ 
			 2003 139 117 172 
			 2004 180 146 196 
			 2005 242 174 186 
			 2006 201 191 160 
			 2007 220 177 184

Alcoholic Drinks: Rehabilitation

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on establishing  (a) telephone helplines,  (b) interactive websites and  (c) support groups under the National Alcohol Strategy to assist people who want to drink less.

Dawn Primarolo: A number of resources are already in place:
	Drinkline, which is funded by the Department, assists people who want to drink sensibly, providing them with advice over the phone and, if required, signposting them to the appropriate services. Advice is also available from NHS Direct.
	Advice on alcohol consumption from several interactive websites:
	the new Drinkaware website;
	the Know Your Limits campaign site; and
	from NHS Choices.
	Many local providers have established support groups as one aspect of their broader alcohol harm reduction service.
	The forthcoming campaign to raise awareness of units and encourage people to drink within the sensible drinking guidelines is due to launch in May and will strengthen the available support. It will include a website that will provide information designed to help people reduce their drinking and will signpost potentially harmful drinkers to telephone, web and paper-based materials as required.
	The Department is conducting social marketing research to identify the best ways to help people to choose healthier lifestyles, including help lines, websites and support groups. New information and advice, targeted towards people who drink at harmful levels, their families and friends, will be available from the summer.

Ambulance Services: Cornwall

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) ambulances and  (b) rapid response vehicles there are in the north Cornwall area; and how many are on duty at any one time.

Ben Bradshaw: This information requested is not held centrally.
	The Department expects ambulance trusts to plan their resources to ensure that there is an appropriate provision of ambulance coverage for the communities they serve.
	Therefore, this is a local matter for the South Western Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust, and the hon. Member may wish to approach the chief executive of the trust for this information.

Anabolic Steroids: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department records the number of people treated by GPs for conditions caused by the abuse of anabolic steroids.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally.

Anabolic Steroids: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department records the number of people admitted to hospital for conditions caused by the abuse of anabolic steroids.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on finished hospital admissions episodes are not recorded against a specific definition of conditions caused by the abuse of anabolic steroids.
	However, data are collected on the number of finished hospital admissions episodes where there was a diagnosis, in any primary or secondary field of poisoning by androgens and anabolic congeners. This is recorded under the code T38.7.
	Based on this code the number of finished hospital admissions episodes in 2006-07, the last year for which figures are available, is 68.
	 Note:
	As these data are for admissions to hospital where it is identified that the patient had a condition of poisoning by androgens and anabolic congeners they do not represent any information about the longer term conditions of the effects of abuse of anabolic steroids.
	 Source:
	Hospital episodes Statistics—The Information Centre for health and social care.

Autism

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adults are diagnosed as having autism.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not held centrally.

British Pregnancy Advisory Service

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports his Department has made on the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department published "An investigation into the British Pregnancy Advisory Service response to requests for late abortions: A report by the chief medical officer" in 2005. No other reports on the organisation have been produced by the Department.

British Pregnancy Advisory Service: Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the National Health Service paid to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in each region to undertake abortions in each of the last four years for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally.

Cherry Knowle Hospital

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the Cherry Knowle hospital, Ryhope, Sunderland.

Ann Keen: Part of the Cherry Knowle hospital site is included in a portfolio of properties that it was agreed would transfer from the ownership of the Secretary of State for Health to English Partnerships to assist the Government's Sustainable Communities programme. It will be for English Partnerships, in consultation with the local planning authority, to determine the future development of this part of the site. The remainder of the site is intended to be developed by the national health service locally to provide new health care facilities.

Dental Services: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were  (a) seeking to be registered with and  (b) on waiting lists for an NHS dentist in Essex in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is for local national health service organisations to determine how best to manage patients seeking NHS dental services.
	Under the old contractual arrangements, which were in place until 31 March 2006, patients had to register with an individual dentist. Under the new contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with an NHS dentist to receive NHS care.

Dental Services: Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to  (a) issue guidance and  (b) propose regulations on tooth whitening (i) procedures and (ii) practitioner professional standards; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: In 2001, as a result of action by the manufacturer and distributor of a tooth whitening product, the House of Lords made a judgment that the Government had the right to consider tooth whitening products as falling under the EC Directive on Cosmetic Products(76/768/EEC) and therefore within the terms of the Cosmetics (Safety) Regulations.
	Currently the Schedules to the Cosmetics (Safety) Regulations restrict the permitted percentage of hydrogen peroxide present or released in cosmetic products used in the mouth to 0.1 per cent. but we understand that the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products has given its opinion to the European Commission that the permitted limit may, subject to prescribed conditions, be increased to 6 per cent. We are awaiting the Commission's response to this advice.
	The General Dental Council (GDC), which is independent of Government, is responsible for the professional standards of dentists and dental care professionals. We understand that the GDC considers that tooth whitening constitutes the practice of dentistry. Any registrant who undertakes work for which they are not sufficiently competent risks fitness to practice proceedings.

Diabetes: Children

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were diagnosed with  (a) type 2 diabetes and  (b) non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Data on the numbers of children diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are not available in the format requested. Estimates of the number of children with Type 2 diabetes vary, but in the United Kingdom it has been suggested that it may be around 1,000.
	Data are not available on the numbers of children diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The following table gives the number of patients, aged 0 to 17, admitted to hospital in each year since 1997 with a diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver.
	
		
			  All Diagnoses: Non-alcoholic fatty liver count of patients ages 0-17, NHS hospitals 1997-08 to 2006- 0 7 in England 
			   Number 
			 1997-08 4 
			 1998-09 7 
			 1999-2000 18 
			 2000-01 21 
			 2001-02 44 
			 2002-03 44 
			 2003-04 45 
			 2004-05 46 
			 2005-06 72 
			 2006-07 81 
			  Note:  Diagnosis code: K76.0 -fatty (change of) liver, not elsewhere classified.   Source:  Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) 1997-2007, Information Centre for Health and Social Care Information Centre. These figures represent a count of all patients with finished consultant episodes (FCEs) within each HES data year, where the diagnosis was mentioned in any of the 14 diagnosis positions (seven prior to 2002-03). An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider.

Dietary Supplements

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nutritional support products were dispensed in the community in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on prescription items dispensed in the community in England and classified by the Prescription Pricing Division of the NHS Business Services Authority as for intravenous or oral nutrition, is in the following table. This excludes minerals or vitamins prescribed on the national health service.
	
		
			   Prescription items dispensed for intravenous and oral nutrition (thousand)  Net ingredient cost (£000) 
			 1997 2,689.2 84,500.9 
			 1998 2,851.3 93,642.6 
			 1999 3,005.7 103,839.6 
			 2000 3,100.5 111,418.5 
			 2001 3,315.2 125,089.0 
			 2002 3,453.3 135,403.6 
			 2003 3,671.8 148,647.1 
			 2004 3,950.2 163,426.6 
			 2005 4,207.0 177,217.7 
			 2006 4,673.0 200,774.9

Drugs: Advisory Services

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed full-time at the national drugs helpline in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Drugs Helpline ceased in England in March 2003 and was replaced by the FRANK helpline in April 2003.
	No staff are employed exclusively to FRANK on a full-time basis. The Central Office of Information advise that a total of 74 trained advisors are shared across other helpline services relating to alcohol and drugs abuse and sexual health services. This equates to 37.5 full-time equivalent advisors given the shift patterns the service is required to fill.

Drugs: Advisory Services

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the national drugs helpline's call capacity is.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Drugs Helpline ceased in England in March 2003 and was replaced by the FRANK helpline in April 2003.
	The Central Office of Information advise that FRANK can handle an average of 63 telephone calls per hour.

Electricity: Health Hazards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he and his Ministerial colleagues have to hold discussions with stakeholders on the implementation of the Health Protection Agency's advice to Government on the SAGE First Interim Assessment on power lines and property, wiring in homes and electrical equipment in homes;
	(2)  what steps have been taken since 27 November 2007 to implement the Health Protection Agency's guidance to Government on the SAGE First Interim Assessment on power lines and property, wiring in homes and electrical equipment in homes; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the timing of the current round of consultation on the SAGE First Interim Assessment on power lines and property, wiring in homes, and electrical equipment in homes is; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what  (a) meetings and  (b) other contacts there have been between officials from his Department and other Departments and devolved Administrations on the implementation of the Health Protection Agency's guidance to Government on the SAGE First Interim Assessment on power lines and property, wiring in homes, and electrical equipment in homes;
	(5)  if he will take steps to reduce the exposure of children to electromagnetic radiation.

Dawn Primarolo: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) advice to Government on the "Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAGE) on Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (ELF EMF) Precautionary approaches to ELF EMFs First Interim Assessment Power Lines and Property, Wiring in Homes And Electrical Equipment in Homes" is available in the Library and also on the HPA website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/understand/radiation_topics/emf/hpa_response__statement_sage.htm
	The HPA advice supports precautionary measures that have a convincing evidence base to show that they will be successful in reducing exposure, are effective in providing reassurance to the public, and where the overall benefits outweigh the fiscal and social costs.
	Since November, officials in the key Government Departments have been in contact with agencies, industry and trade associations to seek initial views on the practicalities of implementing the SAGE recommendations in the light of HPA advice. After exchanges of correspondence, some exploratory meetings have taken place. When these initial soundings have been completed, a work plan will be drawn up for detailed consideration and discussion will be held with officials in the devolved Administrations.

Fats: Health Hazards

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the result has been of the Food Standards Agency's review of health impacts of trans fats; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: At its meeting in December 2007, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) board agreed that voluntary measures taken by the United Kingdom food industry to reduce levels of trans fats in foods have been successful in reducing consumer's average dietary intakes. Legislation would be therefore unlikely to deliver any further significant health benefit.
	In his response to the FSA in January 2008 the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) supported the agency's priority to reduce saturated fat intakes while maintaining the current position on trans fats.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health upon what criteria the recently announced funds for consultation on fluoridation of the public water supply will be allocated between health authorities.

Ann Keen: The central funds to be managed by the Department are for the capital costs of setting up a fluoridation scheme. Strategic health authorities (SHAs) would meet the costs of any consultations from their core allocations. Guidance issued by the Chief Dental Officer on 5 February advises that an SHA should take account of the oral health needs of the population it serves and the technical feasibility of fluoridating its water supply before preparing for a consultation.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which strategic health authorities have applied to his Department for support for plans to fluoridate local water supplies.

Ann Keen: None so far. The funds are for the capital cost of setting up the plant for a fluoridation scheme. Strategic health authorities would not therefore apply for funds until they had consulted on proposals for a fluoridation scheme and demonstrated that it was supported by the local population that would be affected.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish all recent research he has commissioned on the impact of fluoridation on children's dental health.

Ann Keen: The Department has commissioned three completed research studies on fluoridation and health, "A Systematic Review of Water Fluoridation" published by the University of York in 2000, "Water Fluoridation and Health" published by the Medical Research Council in 2002 and the "Bioavailability of Fluoride in Drinking Water: a Human Experimental Study in 2005" published by the University of Newcastle in 2004. The Department is also funding a further project on the use of fluorescent imaging to develop objective and quantitative measures of enamel fluorosis, which is currently in progress.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of foetal alcohol syndrome were diagnosed in  (a) England and  (b) each English region in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally.

Food: Allergies

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will revise the guidance given in the Food Standards Agency publication, "The Provision of Allergen Information for Non-Pre-Packed Foods", to extend the distribution of such information beyond those consumers who request it.

Dawn Primarolo: The guidance on the provision of allergen information in foods sold non-prepacked was introduced because eating out is recognised to be a high-risk situation for allergic consumers. The aim of the guidance is to increase awareness of food allergy issues in food businesses so that, should they be asked, they can provide accurate information on the allergens in the foods they sell, both deliberate ingredients and from the potential for accidental cross-contamination. By raising awareness of allergy issues it is hoped that businesses, such as caterers, will be able to provide this information pro-actively to customers.
	The guidance was issued as best practice to reflect the practical issues, raised during the public consultation, for small businesses in this part of the food sector in providing this information on a statutory basis. The European Union has recently issued a proposal on food labelling following a review of the existing legislation, that includes strengthening the requirements to provide allergen information in this sector. There will be a full public consultation on this proposal prior to negotiations.

Food: Labelling

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps  (a) his Department and  (b) the Food Standards Agency is taking to monitor compliance with the voluntary guidance on the provision of information on food allergens on non-prepacked food for the purposes of improving consumer confidence.

Dawn Primarolo: Due to the voluntary nature of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance, compliance will not be monitored. However, the FSA will be monitoring the awareness and uptake of the guidance package by food business operators.

Food: Labelling

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had on the standards of labelling of food allergens in food imported from non-EU countries; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: No discussions have been held on the standards of allergen labelling on foods imported from outside the European Union (EU). All food products imported from non-EU countries are required to comply with the requirements of the European labelling legislation, including the provisions on the labelling of allergenic ingredients. These provisions are implemented through the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 as amended.

Food: Labelling

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Food Standards Agency guidance on cross-contamination of foodstuffs contained in the provision of allergens information for non pre-packed foods.

Dawn Primarolo: No assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the cross-contamination information contained within the guidance because the main aim of the Food Standards Agency guidance is to raise awareness of allergens in the non pre-packed foods sector. The guidance focuses on deliberate ingredients as these present the greatest risk for allergic consumers. However, cross- contamination is highlighted in the guidance as an additional factor to consider when answering queries from allergic consumers.

General Practitioners: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average remuneration per general practitioner was in City of York constituency in  (a) the most recent period for which figures are available and  (b) each of the previous 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: Data on average general practitioner (GP) pay by individual primary care trusts and at national level are not available in the format requested.
	Information on average GP net profits was determined at United Kingdom level only until 2001-02. However, since 2002-03 information on average GP pay has been available on a country basis (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) as well as at Great Britain/UK level.
	The following table provides the latest available average GP net profit from 1997 to 2005-06 as agreed with the Technical Steering Committee which is a UK- wide committee incorporating representatives from all UK Health Departments, the NHS Confederation and the British Medical Association.
	
		
			  Average GP pay since 1997 
			   Amount (£)  Increase over previous year (percentage) 
			 1997-98 46,031 3.5 
			 1998-99 48,037 4.4 
			 1999-2000 52,606 9.5 
			 2000-01 54,219 3.1 
			 2001-02 56,510 4.2 
			 2002-03 72,716 (1)— 
			 2003-04 81,566 12.2 
			 2004-05 100,170 22.8 
			 2005-06 110,004 9.8 
			 (1) Not applicable as a new data series started this year  Notes: 1. Figures for 1997-98 to 2001-02 inclusive are for national health service income only in Great Britain (GB). 2. Figures for 2002-03 onwards are for all sources of income, including private, but for 2002-03 is for GB and for 2003-04 onwards are for the UK. The figures do not include earnings of those doctors working as salaried employees.  Source: Information Centre for health and social care.

Health Services: Private Sector

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role his Department has in  (a) monitoring and regulating and  (b) securing patients' interests in takeovers of NHS services by private health care companies.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 February 2008
	The Department's role in relation to the involvement of private health care companies in providing national health service services is to establish the conditions and rules to ensure that such involvement is in the interests of patients, the public and taxpayers. The Department does not directly regulate or monitor private companies' involvement in specific local services.
	It is for primary care trusts (PCTs), the local leaders of the NHS, to commission an appropriate range of high-quality health care services to meet the needs of their population. In circumstances where existing services are not of the required quality, or where new services are needed, PCTs may decide to procure alternatives from other NHS organisations or from the private sector or the third sector. Strategic health authorities ensure that PCTs carry out their commissioning role effectively, and in line with the principles and rules for competition established by the Department.
	The Healthcare Commission is responsible for regulating independent sector providers and assessing NHS providers.

Hospitals: Food

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to improve the quality and nutritional value of hospital food for children.

Ann Keen: The Department produced, in 2003, a guidance document entitled 'Catering Services for Children and Young Adults', which was designed to assist national health service trusts in providing appropriate catering services for these groups of patients. Decisions relating to the implementation of the guidance, or any parts of it, are a matter for individual trusts. A copy of the guidance document has been placed in the Library.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to issue guidance to primary care trusts on  (a) the delivery of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccinations and  (b) the consent required for administering the HPV vaccination; whether he plans to recommend a school-based delivery programme; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Guidance on the implementation of the human papilloma virus (HPV) immunisation programme will be issued to the national health service and others through various information channels such as the Chief Medical Officer Letters, Chief Executives Bulletin, the guide "Immunisation against infectious disease" (the 'Green Book'), websites and a range of NHS immunisation leaflets when all the appropriate information becomes available. A national conference for primary care trusts (PCTs) was held in October on the HPV vaccination programme. A second conference is planned, and a range of supporting resources is being made available on the www.immunisation.nhs.uk website as they are developed.
	The principles for consent for HPV vaccination are the same as those for other childhood vaccination, and are covered in Chapter 2 of the "Immunisation against Infectious Disease".
	Introduction of a HPV immunisation programme to routinely vaccinate girls aged 12 to 13 years of age against cervical cancer will start in September 2008 and a two-year catch up campaign will start in autumn 2009, for girls up to 18 years. PCTs will plan how to deliver the vaccination programme locally, and the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has advised that HPV vaccination would be most efficiently delivered through schools.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether parental consent will be necessary for the administration of the human papilloma virus vaccine to children; and what guidance his Department has given on the steps to be taken should a child request the vaccine and the parent withhold consent.

Dawn Primarolo: The principles for consent for human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination are the same as those for other childhood vaccination, and are covered in chapter 2 of the "Immunisation against Infectious Disease". A copy of the document has been placed in the Library and is also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_079917
	A range of information materials to support the HPV vaccination programme are being prepared and will be distributed in due course.

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with officials at the  (a) Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and  (b) Office of Fair Trading on the implications of reducing reimbursement prices for stoma and incontinence products to below cost;
	(2)  if he will issue guidance to dispensing appliance contractors on how to prioritise those patients who should receive a stoma customisation service in the event of a volume cap being placed on this service.

Dawn Primarolo: During the course of this review there have been meetings with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform—formerly the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Lord Sainsbury represented the DTI. These covered all aspects of the review, including reimbursement for items.
	There have been no discussions with the Office of Fair Trading specifically about the potential impact of the proposed reimbursement for items, although it is aware of the review taking place.
	It is premature to decide if any guidance should be issued to dispensing appliance contractors regarding any aspect of the proposed service provision, as the review is ongoing.

Fluoride: Infant Foods / Drinking Water

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to his answer of 17 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2209W, on infant foods: fluoride, whether his Department has completed its evaluation of advice issued by the American Dental Association that fluoridated water should not be used to make up powdered infant formula because of the risk of dental fluorosis; and if he will publish that evaluation;
	(2)  what proportion of the population have dental fluorosis; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of the population likely to have dental fluorosis in areas where the public water supply is fluoridated.

Ann Keen: Dental fluorosis is a cosmetic effect with no implications for systemic (general) health. It may nevertheless, in a small minority of cases, give people concerns about the appearance of their teeth. A research project reported in the British Dental Journal (volume 189 No 4 August 26 2000) on the prevalence of fluorosis of children who had been continuous residents in fluoridated Newcastle or non-fluoridated Northumberland found that 54 per cent. of children in water fluoridated areas had fluorosis and 23 per cent. in the fluoride deficient areas. In response to the advice from the American Dental Association, we are to investigate the aesthetic impact of fluorosis. We are funding a research project involving the use of intra-oral cameras and automated software to obtain consistent readings in surveys of levels of dental fluorosis. If, as we expect, the project is successful, the researchers will use the photographs to obtain the views of a representative sample of people on the appearance of teeth with fluorosis at different levels of severity.

Macular Degeneration: Wirral

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of macular degeneration in Wirral West constituency has been in the last five years; and what plans he has to screen those over 60 for the disease.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. There are no plans to introduce screening at this time.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust: Pay

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what powers he has to  (a) prevent and  (b) limit the payment of severance pay to the former Chief Executive of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust; and whether his Department has prevented or limited the severance payment to the former Chief Executive of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust;
	(2)  on what grounds he determined that the severance payment to the former Chief Executive of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust should not be made.

Ann Keen: The employment of staff, clinicians and managers within the national health service is a matter for local NHS boards. Secretaries of State have power to give directions to NHS trusts about their exercise of any functions, which may include the making of payments to staff. This power could still be relevant to any matters outstanding regarding severance payments.
	In the case of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells we asked the NHS trust to withhold any severance payment to the former chief executive prior to considering legal advice on the matter. We understand that the trust has since taken legal advice on this matter, and following that advice, has issued a statement that the former chief executive will be paid her legal entitlement of six months salary.

Maternity Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to improve maternity services since 1997.

Ann Keen: holding answer 19 February 2008
	 I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1390W. Also on 25 January 2008, we announced extra funding for maternity services for each of the next three years, totalling £330 million. This will ensure that mothers will get the best possible care and will be guaranteed a full range of choices. Trusts will have access to this additional money from April.

Mental Health Services: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when all frontline staff in mental health and learning disability services will have received Promoting Safer and Therapeutic Services training in conflict resolution.

Ann Keen: The NHS Security Management Service organises conflict resolution training for national health service staff. Within this training programme, the Promoting Safer and Therapeutic Services syllabus has been specifically designed for staff working in mental health and learning disability settings. The aim is for all staff to have received training by 31 March 2008.

Midwives: Training

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwifery training places there were in each English region in each of the last five academic years.

Ann Keen: A table which shows how many midwifery training places there were in each strategic health authorities in each of the last five academic years has been placed in the Library.

Midwives: Training

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to his Department of training student midwives was in each year since 2004-05.

Ann Keen: holding answer 18 February 2008
	The total estimated cost of training student midwives for each year since 2004-05 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total cost (£ million) 
			 2004-05 79.4 
			 2005-06 82.2 
			  Notes: (i) 2004-05 and 2005-06 are forecasts. No data are available for 2006-07 onwards. (ii) Data in the above time series are not strictly comparable due to changes in the way data were collected. (iii) Average bursary costs for nurses and midwives have been added to tuition costs from 2004-05 onwards.

Neurology

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many neurosurgeons qualified in each of the past 10 years

Ann Keen: The Department does not hold the numbers of neurosurgeons who qualified each year because the annual national health service workforce census does not separately identify the number of consultants specialising in neurosurgery who qualify each year.
	The number of consultants specialising in neurosurgery employed in the NHS in each year from 1996 to 2006 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Hospital and Community Health Services : Medical staff showing consultants and doctors in training and equivalents working in neurosurgery: England at 30 September each year 
			  Numbers 
			   All staff, of which:  C onsultants  Doctors in training and equivalents 
			 1996 367 124 236 
			 1997 358 127 218 
			 1998 371 130 231 
			 1999 368 136 222 
			 2000 407 139 252 
			 2001 427 152 252 
			 2002 466 161 280 
			 2003 491 168 311 
			 2004 534 180 345 
			 2005 561 190 352 
			 2006 553 187 358 
			  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census.

NHS: Contracts

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued on NHS trusts charging contractors for tenders.

Ben Bradshaw: Guidance on this matter is not issued centrally.
	National health service trusts are responsible for their own good financial management. This will include looking closely at all opportunities to prevent or minimise any impact on services to patients.
	Suppliers must decide for themselves whether to support a particular tender invitation after giving due consideration to the potential benefits and process savings that might be accrued from it.

NHS: Drugs

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who have experienced  (a) strokes and  (b) heart attacks related to their use of the drug Vioxx.

Dawn Primarolo: Data are not available on which to base a valid estimate of the number of heart attacks, strokes and other adverse effects that may have been caused by Vioxx and other COX-2 inhibitors. The underlying medical condition of many patients treated with COX-2 inhibitors means that they are already at higher risk of heart attack and stroke than the rest of the population, and the impact of the COX-2 inhibitor on this risk is not possible to calculate.
	Since Vioxx was voluntarily withdrawn by the manufacturer in 2004, the safety of other COX-2 inhibitors and traditional anti-inflammatory drugs—non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—has been under continual and intense assessment in the United Kingdom and Europe. The latest evidence suggests that both NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors might pose a small increased risk of heart attacks or strokes, although the exact level of risk may vary between medicines. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has widely communicated the latest information and advice for healthcare professionals in letters and bulletins, and other publications through liaison with the British National Formulary and National Prescribing Centre. In addition, product information (including patient information leaflets) has been updated in order to support informed decision-making in relation to the choice of anti-inflammatory medicine.

NHS: Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what days the www.jobs.nhs.uk/terms.html webpage was updated in the last two months.

Ann Keen: The www.job.nhs.uk/terms.html webpage was last updated on 16 January 2008 as stated on the website. The terms and conditions of the National Health Service Jobs website are reviewed once a month by NHS employers and are updated when necessary. They were previously updated in 2006 as a result of changes from "Commissioning a Patient led NHS".

Nurses: Uniforms

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any categories of clinical or nursing staff are exempt from the bare below the elbow rule.

Ann Keen: No categories of clinical or nursing staff are automatically exempt from the bare below the elbows dress code. In setting local uniform policy, national health service trusts need to take account of the Department's guidance and to decide when both clinical and nursing staff are in situations where it is applicable.
	Clinical and nursing staff need to dress appropriately and professionally to enable them to carry out their duties. The new bare below the elbows dress code is a matter of patient safety, as it supports good hand cleaning practice and contributes to infection prevention and control.

Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1396W, on nutrition, how many patients were  (a) admitted to and  (b) discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of (i) malnutrition, (ii) nutritional anaemia and (iii) other nutritional deficiencies in 2006-07, per 1,000 patient admissions, broken down by NHS trust.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the exact format requested.
	Tables showing the rates of finished in year admission episodes for malnutrition/nutrition anaemias and other nutritional deficiencies per 1,000 hospital admission episodes and the rate of in year discharge episodes for the specified diagnosis per 1,000 hospital discharge episodes, have been placed in the Library. This does not represent how many patients were admitted or discharged with these specified diagnosis as a person may have more than one admission/discharge episode within the year for a particular diagnosis. The figures are by per 1,000 hospital admission episodes rather than per 1,000 patient admissions.
	Also, it is not possible to add the number of admission/discharge episodes in each of the three diagnosis categories (malnutrition, nutritional anaemia and other nutritional deficiencies) to obtain the total number of episodes with these diagnoses because it is possible that a patient could have more than one of the diagnoses recorded in their episode which means the same episode could appear in all three categories.

Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1396W, on nutrition, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the trend in the diagnoses of  (a) malnutrition,  (b) nutritional anaemias and  (c) other nutritional deficiencies since 1997-98.

Dawn Primarolo: The trend of a greater number of discharge episodes than admission episodes does not imply that patients are becoming malnourished or developing nutritional anaemia/other nutritional deficiencies during their time in hospital. It is not possible to compare admissions and discharges in this way because there are a number of reasons why we would expect there to be more discharge episodes than admission episodes with these diagnoses.
	For example, a patient showing signs/symptoms of malnutrition etc. would often undergo various tests to establish the cause of the symptoms; it may not be until later (e.g. the patient's last episode in a particular hospital—their discharge episode) that the results come back and a formal diagnosis of malnutrition can be made. Hence, waiting for test results could result in more diagnoses being recorded in the discharge episode.
	Also, a diagnosis in the discharge episode will be the last diagnosis that a particular patient was being treated for. This does not mean that patients who have a discharge episode with a diagnosis of malnutrition/nutritional anaemia/other nutritional deficiencies were actually discharged from hospital still malnourished or with nutritional anaemia or other nutritional deficiencies.
	It is not possible to add the number of admission/discharge episodes in each of the three diagnosis categories (malnutrition, nutritional anaemia and other nutritional deficiencies) to obtain the total number of episodes because it is possible that a patient could have more than one of the diagnoses recorded. This means the same episode could appear in all three categories.
	The increase trend in finished in year admission and discharge episodes over time, is in part due to factors such as the improvements in quality/coverage of Hospital Episode Statistics data and clinical coding since 1997. These improvements in information submitted by the national health service have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series.

Obesity: Children

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many children aged 11 to 16 years were considered  (a) obese and  (b) overweight in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many children under the age of 11 years were considered  (a) obese and  (b) overweight in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the exact format requested.
	Data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children aged two to 10 and aged 11 to 15 years, since 1995, can be found in the "Health Survey for England 2006 latest trends", published 31 January 2008. The data are presented in table 4 (obesity) of the "Children's trend tables 2006". A copy of the report and tables has been placed in the Library.

Suicide

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the last suicide prevention campaign aimed at school students was launched; and how much his Department has spent on suicide prevention in schools in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are committed to improving safeguards for children. That is why they have introduced new legislation, new guidance, new structures and new policy initiatives to make children safer and to ensure that there is a proper focus on children at the very heart of Government. A national suicide prevention strategy for England was launched by the Department of Health in September 2002 with the aim of supporting the target to substantially reduce the mortality rate from suicide and undetermined injury by at least 20 per cent. by 2010.
	We are currently working with Papyrus on the prevention of young suicide and funding the expansion of their helpline called Hopeline UK. We are also putting £30 million into the NSPCC to expand and improve their services so that more children can be given advice and help. Action to tackle this complex problem also includes raising awareness of the potential dangers of suicide websites/chat rooms and working with Internet Service Providers to discourage them from hosting sites which may encourage suicide. The independent Byron review is looking into helping children and young people get the most from the internet whilst protecting them from inappropriate and potentially harmful material.
	The Department does not collect data on how much schools spend on suicide prevention. However grant funding to local authorities for implementing the ten year programme of improvements for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) set out in the National Framework for Children and Young People and Maternity Services (NSF) has increased from £10 million in 1999-2000 to £91 million in each financial year from 2003-04 to 2007-08. The Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programme was created to develop all children and young people's social and emotional skills at school, which help to underpin emotional wellbeing. SEAL will be supported by an extra £13.7 million over four years, on top of the £7 million a year already confirmed, and the aim is that by 2010-11 SEAL will be available to all schools nationally. In addition from April we will invest an additional £60 million over three years to support schools to work with mental health practitioners and strengthen the provision of targeted mental health services for children and adolescents. We also announced plans in 2007 for an independent review of CAMHS.

Sunbeds

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what options are being considered for regulation of the sunbed industry, as mentioned in the cancer reform strategy;
	(2)  with reference to the cancer reform strategy, in what manner the SunSmart campaign will expand; when the expansion will become effective; and what activities it will cover;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the provision of health-related information in  (a) supervised and  (b) unsupervised sunbed salons;
	(4)  what recent discussions his Department's  (a) public health and  (b) cancer teams have had on the regulation of (i) (A) supervised and (B) unsupervised sunbed salons and (ii) the usage of sunbeds by those under the age of 18;
	(5)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the sunbed industry and  (b) stakeholders in the health community on the health effects of sunbed usage;
	(6)  what estimate he has made of the level of usage of  (a) supervised and ( b) unsupervised sunbed salons by under 18 year olds in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(7)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the World Health Organisation,  (b) his counterparts in the European Union and  (c) the Scottish Executive on the use of sunbeds by those under the age of 18;
	(8)  what steps his Department is taking to determine the number and distribution of  (a) supervised and  (b) unsupervised sunbed salons; and over what timescale;
	(9)  if he will bring forward regulations to require minimum standards of  (a) clarity and  (b) uniformity in respect of information provided in (i) sunbed salons and (ii) unsupervised sunbed salons.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is reviewing what options can be considered for the regulation of tanning salons with the help of stakeholders, both inside and outside of Government.
	For example, we have met with representatives from the tanning industry and voluntary organisations with an interest in young people, and engaged with other Government Departments, the Scottish Executive and international organisations on the issue of sunbeds, both supervised and unsupervised.
	The aim is to strike a balance between consumer safety and choice and to focus initially on the potential harm to young people under 18 years using sunbeds. As part of the review we are working with stakeholders to develop proposals to ascertain the extent of usage of sunbeds by minors and the distribution of sunbed outlets.
	In the meantime, the Health and Safety Executive is shortly expected to publish for consultation on its website a revised version of leaflet INDG209 'Controlling health risks from the use of Ultraviolet tanning equipment'. This will include draft guidance for operators and information for customers.
	SunSmart is the national prevention and sun protection campaign, run by Cancer Research UK on behalf of the United Kingdom Health Departments. The Cancer Reform Strategy is a five-year strategy and the details of implementing the many actions outlined in the strategy (including those relating to skin awareness) are currently being worked through.

Tinnitus

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide funding for tinnitus research over the next three years.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department funds national health service research and development through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The institute's research programmes support high quality research of relevance and in areas of high priority to patients and the NHS.
	The usual practice of the NIHR (and of the Medical Research Council) is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. Both organisations welcome applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.
	Details, including the scope of the programmes and the arrangements for making applications for support from them, are available on the NIHR website at:
	www.nihr.ac.uk.

Wines

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the policy of the Food Standards Agency is on the importation and sale of low alcohol wine.

Dawn Primarolo: The enforcement for wine sector regulations in the United Kingdom is carried out by the Food Standards Agency.
	Wines from other member states may be brought into the UK provided they comply with European Community (EC) regulations on winemaking. Naturally lower alcohol wines can be produced and sold in member states. However, Council Regulation 1493/1999 does not allow the reduction of alcohol in a wine. There is, however, provision for member states to allow experimental winemaking practices but any wines produced can only be sold in the member state of production.
	Wines from third countries imported into the EC are in general subject to the same rules on winemaking as wines produced in member states. The United States of America is one of a number of countries that has an agreement with the EC which allows wines from the USA which meet their domestic regulations to be imported into the EC. This agreement includes the use of alcohol reduction techniques.
	The agency favours a regime that recognises there is no threat to consumer health by using alcohol reduction processes. However a new category for reduced alcohol wines is required to be included in to EC regulations, to avoid misleading description and potential confusion with mainstream wines.
	The European Union wine regime is currently being reviewed and it is expected to introduce a fast track procedure for approval of novel winemaking processes such as spinning cone and reverse osmosis which can reduce the alcohol content of wine.

Wines

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason British wine producers are restricted by EU rules in selling lower alcohol wines in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Naturally lower alcohol wines can be produced and sold in the United Kingdom. Council Regulation 1493/1999 does not allow the reduction of alcohol in a wine. There is, however, provision in the regulations to allow experimental winemaking practices but any wines produced can only be sold in the member state of production.
	The enforcement for wine sector regulations in the UK is carried out by the Food Standards Agency. The agency favours a more liberal regime, recognising the potential benefits to consumers of using alcohol reduction processes. However this would require an amendment to European Commission regulations which currently make this practice illegal, on the grounds that this would mislead consumers and there would be potential for confusion with mainstream wines.